Iran expresses interest in expanding economic cooperation with Pakistan through Karachi, Gwadar ports

Iran expressed interest in expanding trade and economic cooperation with Pakistan through the ports of Karachi and Gwadar on Tuesday, as a delegation from Tehran held a meeting with a business team from Pakistan in Islamabad, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. The Radio Pakistan report said Iranian Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mohammad Atabak led the delegation from Tehran and co-chaired the 10th session of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Trade Committee with Commerce Jam Kamal Khan in Islamabad. At the meeting, he expressed interest in widening economic cooperation between the two countries. “Iran places the highest priority on expanding comprehensive cooperation, particularly with the brotherly nation of Pakistan,” the report quoted him as saying. He further said that negotiations on the Iran-Pakistan free trade agreement were progressing well, expressing the confidence that it would conclude successfully in the near future, according to the report. For his part, Jam Kamal Khan said operationalising joint border markets was vital for improving livelihoods and noted that the private sector in both Pakistan and Iran “trust each other and stand ready to trade”. “It is our duty to provide them with a seamless, structured and predictable environment,” he added. He emphasised the need for finalising such roadmaps that would take the economic partnership between Pakistan and Iran to new heights, the report said.