Rafat Masoud, the Pakistani Ambassador to Tehran made the remarks a meeting with the provincial governor of Iranian Sistan and Baluchistan province Ahmad Ali Mohebati in Zahedan on Saturday.
Masoud said that Iran and Pakistan share a lot of similarities that need to be used to develop bilateral relations between the two countries.
Pakistani ambassador also said that Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is keen on increasing bilateral ties with Iran, Afghanistan and India, adding that the Pakistani prime minister also stresses that any economic problems with Iran should be resolved.
Masoud pointed to border trade at shared border crossings, saying that the two border gates of Rimdan and Pishin need to start work as soon as possible to boost border trade between Iran and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, she emphasized the need for an increase in the number of flights between Pakistani Quetta and Karachi and Iran’s Zahedan airports to allow the expansion of bilateral trade.
The diplomat also pointed to the obstacles that the US sanctions have made for Iran-Pakistan bilateral relations, saying that an alternative currency has to be set up in place of US dollar.
She also called for boosting security on shared borders.
The Pakistani ambassador also emphasized that boundaries and limits of her country’s consulate in Zahedan need to be clarified.
The provincial governor of Sistan and Baluchistan Ahmad Ali Mohebati, for his part stressed the need for expansion of bilateral relations through joint investments on the both sides of the shared borders.
Mohebati also said that Iran can contribute to Pakistani Gwadar port by providing natural gas and electricity to the petrochemical plants in the port, calling for accelerating the opening of two border gates of Rimdan and Pishin to help the Pakistani port.
He further said that operating the three border crossings of Rimdan, Pishin and Kouhak can also be of great help to the people living on both sides of the borders.
The governor further said that the border gates need to be made official in a bid to tackle the problem of border smuggling.
Mohebati also said that the work on the infrastructure of border gates Rimdan and Pishin is advancing according to plans on the Iranian side of the border, calling on the Pakistani authorities to take the work on the border gates more seriously.
He further expressed Iran’s readiness to provide Pakistan with construction materials needed to the build border markets.
The 3rd Mirjava-Zahedan rail line for Pakistani trains will be inaugurated by next year, he said.
He also emphasized that boundaries and limits of the Pakistani consulate in Zahedan will soon be established.
KI/IRN83151357
Your Comment