Islamabad : Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan, Dr. Raza Amiri Moghaddam, paid a courtesy visit to the Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, congratulating Minister Ahsan Iqbal on assuming office. During the meeting, potential areas of cooperation for the upcoming visit of Iran’s President to Pakistan were discussed.
Minister Iqbal highlighted the historical ties between Pakistan and Iran and emphasized the importance of enhancing connectivity through trade routes, considering the 900km shared land and maritime border. He stressed the need for effective road-rail transit routes to boost economic cooperation, aiming to increase the current $2.5 billion trade volume between the two countries manifold.
Acknowledging Iran’s energy as a vital resource, Minister Iqbal proposed leveraging it to alleviate Pakistan’s energy crises, particularly considering the cost-effectiveness of Iranian energy sources. He also advocated reviving the cargo train service between Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey initiated in 2009 under ECO.
The Ambassador commended the strategic significance of Chabahar, Gwadar, and Karachi ports for trade and expressed Iran’s commitment to connecting Chabahar port with the Zahidan railway network, potentially extending connectivity to Russia and Central Asia countries. The Gabd-Rimdan border crossing was identified as a more viable option than Quetta-Taftan, given its proximity to Gwadar and Chabahar.
Minister Iqbal proposed adopting Iran’s vocational and technical training mechanism to empower unemployed youth in Balochistan. Both sides agreed that strengthened bilateral ties could contribute to reducing terrorism and extremist activities in the region.
