In the year 2023, the volume of trade between the two countries will reach more than two billion dollars: Ambassador of Iran
Special Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: State Minister and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi has said relations between Pakistan and Iran are time-tested adding this friendship is getting deeper and deeper with the each passing day.
Tariq Fatemi made these remarks while speaking on the occasion of the National Day of Iran. The event was organized as the Islamabad Serena Hotel and attended by large number of diplomatic community, members of the civil society and serving and retired civil and military officials. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Capital Administration and Development also attended the event.
Tariq Fatemi further said Iran had always stood besides Pakistan through thick and thin. He hoped this brotherly relationship would grow even further in the days to come.
Ambassador of Iran Mohammad Ali Hosseini in his speech thanked Pakistan brothers and sister for attending the event in large numbers. He added, Iran enjoys geographical strategic location in the region, enormous natural resources, competitive and economical energy basket, human resources and a large potential market. It makes an incomparable capacity to develop and expand the all-around economic and trade cooperation in all fields with all the countries of the world.
Meanwhile, Iran and Pakistan have a collective population of more than 300 million people, along with which a wide array of commonalities and links provides a mosaic constellation of opportunities for the activists of the two countries, he added.
Ambassador Hosseini further said, the 21st Joint Commission of Economic Cooperation was successfully held in Islamabad. In the year 2022, more than five exclusive trade exhibitions were held in different cities of Pakistan. About one month ago the trade tariffs for Pakistani export goods was removed as an Iranian initiative to expand Pakistani interest margin from bilateral trade.
He said, about two weeks ago, the electricity export from Iran to Pakistan increased by 2 times and up to more than 200 megawatts. In the year 2023, the volume of trade between the two countries will reach more than two billion dollars, setting a new record in the trade area between the two countries. Several sustenance markets and border market are also at the verge of opening in the near future.
He said tourism need to be expanded in all areas beyond religious tourism including hearth and medicine, sightseeing, common heritage, entertainment and so on. The private sectors of the two countries should be strengthened and supported by the positive approach of the officials.
People-to-people recognition and contact is of significant importance and need be regarded. Banking relations, Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, cooperation in the energy sector are among the issues that should be taken into account by a positive and constructive mindset.
The ambassador said, one of the greatest achievements of Iran during the past few decades is the improvement of the status of women and family in all fields including health, education, entrepreneurship, investment and employment, social rights and so on and so forth. Women’s literacy has reached above 96 percent, more than 60 percent of the university students in Iran are women and girls, and the participation of the women in the country’s macro-management, decision-making and policy-making is significantly grown.
‘The government and people of Iran are proud to have proven that; when it’s time for the negotiations based upon mutual respect and good will, they always respect the agreements and are fully committed to all the commitments agreed upon by them. Where they face with the maximum oppressive pressure, they will inflict an unprecedented defeat on the founders of the economic terrorism with maximum and heroic resistance and endurance, and when there is the matter ofthe violation of their rights and aggressionby the hostile sides, they have defended the security of their country with courage and determination’.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has played an incomparable role in ensuring the stability and security of the region and the world with heroic sacrifices at the forefront of the fight against the ominous phenomenon of terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking. Iran has paid a heavy cost in this way and sacrificed valuable lives in the fight against the afore-mentioned plights, he added.
