Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks during a speech at the meeting on ‘Economic and Investment Opportunities between Iran and Pakistan’, attended by Pakistani investors and business people.
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as a neighboring and Muslim country, has always been of great importance to the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said.
According to the Iranian minister, the existence of more than nine hundred kilometers of common land border and many historical, cultural, and religious commonalities have made the relations between the two countries stable.
Stating that in recent years, effective measures have been taken to expand the relations between the two countries, especially in the economic field, Amir-Abdollahian added that two new border terminals have been opened in the areas of "Rimdan-Gabd" and "Pishin-Mand" along the common border.
Referring to the strategic geographical positions of the two countries and the fact that they are located on the path of international transportation corridors and global transportation plans such as the Belt and Road Initiative, he said that efforts have been made to make use of the existing capacities for the development of bilateral and regional cooperation in the fields of transportation and transit.
The geographical location of the two ports of Chabahar (in Iran) and Gwadar (in Pakistan) are other potentials that can be exploited in order to increase the bilateral and regional economic cooperation of the two countries, he further said.
Stating that the economies of Iran and Pakistan are inherently complementary, Amir-Abdollahian added that Pakistan can be a supplier of Iran's needs in the agricultural sector, and Iran can cover Pakistan's need for energy.
For this purpose, the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline, has been extended by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the border of Pakistan, he pointed out.
Noting that Iran's electricity exports to Pakistan have also been on the rise, he explained that the total bilateral trade between Iran and Pakistan has been going up in recent years and has reached more than $2.3 billion dollars.
Referring to the simultaneous membership of Iran and Pakistan in regional arrangements such as the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Asian Trade Union (ACU), etc. he stressed that they provide a suitable platform for promoting commercial and economic relations.
Stressing that the private sector plays an undeniable role in developing bilateral economic cooperation, he added that Iran supports the development of tourism between the two countries.
He also declared Iran's readiness in providing health tourism services to the Pakistani nation.
"We hope that with the rise of cooperation between the two friendly and brotherly countries of Iran and Pakistan, we will witness the ever-increasing expansion of bilateral economic and commercial cooperation", he concluded.
SKH/Spox
Your Comment