Islamabad, IRNA — The head of the Iran-Pakistan Friendship Group in the parliament, while referring to the US sanctions and sabotage to prevent free trade in the region, especially between neighbors, said a joint barter chamber should be established for trade between Tehran and Islamabad.
Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani expressed these views during his first working meeting with the members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs of Pakistan’s National Assembly in Islamabad on Monday.
He first expressed his condolences to the government and people of Pakistan, especially the members of the Pakistani parliament, over the deaths of dozens of Pakistanis following the recent earthquake in Balochistan and the death of the country’s founder of nuclear technology.
Referring to the special view of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and members of parliament on strengthening relations with neighbors, including friendly and brotherly Pakistan, the MP said strengthening bilateral trade, promoting economic ties, and strengthening security and border relations are issues that friendship groups follows it closely.
Appreciating Pakistan’s support to Iran against US sanctions and support in the SCO, he said apart from the problems of sanctions, we expect Islamabad as a more friendly and brotherly government to take further steps to overcome these issues.
The head of the Iran-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group, referring to the volume of joint trade between the two neighbors in recent years, said this amount of trade and economic exchanges is not satisfactory and is not suitable for the real capacities of Iran and Pakistan.
He emphasized during the friendship group’s visit to Pakistan two years ago, the Iranian side proposed the establishment of a joint barter chamber and announced its full readiness to start a new trade process.
Amirabadi Farahani added Iran and Pakistan can supply each other’s items and goods under this joint mechanism.
He pointed to the readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the 24-hour customs operation at the border crossings, especially at Mirjaveh-Taftan, seven days a week without interruption, and added, the closure of one or two days of customs on the Pakistani side may affect trade.
The head of Iran’s parliamentary delegation added we must take more serious measures in the field of customs activity and activation of common border markets with the role of Iran-Pakistan friendship groups in order to achieve more success.
Amirabadi Farahani added recently, China has been added to the Iran-Pakistan friendship group in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and we propose a joint meeting between the representatives of the Iran-China-Pakistan friendship groups, and we are ready to host this meeting in Tehran.
He emphasized the close cooperation between Tehran-Beijing-Islamabad in the region will ensure stability and security and will achieve common interests.
Regarding developments in Afghanistan and its consequences for the region, especially its neighbors, Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani said “we must ensure that the country must not get involved in civil, ethnic or factional wars”.
He added Iran and Pakistan, as the two main neighbors of Afghanistan, are directly affected by the unrest in this country, “so we support the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan with the presence of all groups and ethnicities”.
The representative of the people of Qom in the parliament said the Islamic Republic of Iran has implemented the strictest laws against money laundering and terrorist financing, but the Americans are trying to tighten sanctions.
“Our expectation from our eastern neighbor, Pakistan, is not to pay attention to excuses and sanctions, and the best way to achieve common goals, especially easy trade is to establish a joint chamber,” he stressed.
The head of the Iran-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group in the parliament described the Pakistani army’s efforts to fence the border with Iran as acceptable while emphasizing more effective cooperation between the two countries against illegal movements and terrorist elements on the borders.
He suggested a joint visit of members of the two countries’ friendship groups to three joint border crossings in Taftan, Rimdan and Pishin, especially the Iranian side’s visit to the Pakistani port of Gwadar, which was welcomed by the Pakistani representatives.
Source: Islamic Republic News Agency – IRNA
