Islamabad (Izhar Khan Niazi):
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with a six-member delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran, led by Iranian Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade Syed Mohammad Atabak, in Islamabad.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan highly values its relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, describing Iran as a brotherly neighboring country. He reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue its sincere efforts for peace and stability in the region.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that he recently had a productive discussion with Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian regarding the establishment of lasting peace in the region and further promotion of bilateral relations, particularly trade between the two countries.
The Prime Minister expressed hope that through continuous efforts, the two countries would achieve the bilateral trade target of 10 billion US dollars set by the leadership of Pakistan and Iran.
He emphasized that increasing trade, especially in food, agricultural commodities, and related products, would benefit both nations. The meeting also highlighted the importance of strengthening border trade, improving facilities for keeping the border open 24 hours, enhancing logistics, and ensuring better coordination in customs procedures.
Both sides agreed to further enhance cooperation in the mining sector, particularly in the processing and value addition of precious stones.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif conveyed his best wishes and regards for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei and President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian.
Speaking on the occasion, Iranian Minister Syed Mohammad Atabak expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s warm welcome and excellent hospitality. He appreciated the Pakistani leadership and people for their solidarity with Iran and acknowledged Pakistan’s sincere diplomatic efforts for regional peace.
The Iranian minister said that Iran is keen to further expand its economic and trade relations with Pakistan. He added that technical-level discussions regarding the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and Iran are currently underway.
The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Jam Kamal Khan, Ali Pervez Malik, Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistants Syed Tariq Fatemi, Haroon Akhtar, Talha Burki, and senior officials from relevant institutions.