Tehran: Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has announced that Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran will collaborate to enhance regional peace and foster the welfare of both nations, following formal discussions between high-level delegations from the two countries in Islamabad. The meeting was co-chaired by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and his Pakistani counterpart, Mohsin Naqvi.
According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the presence of senior representatives from Iran's Ministries of Industry, Mine and Trade, Oil, Agricultural Jihad, and Roads and Urban Development at the meeting underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation and the exploration of new opportunities. Naqvi expressed optimism about the visit, highlighting its significance for regional stability and development.
The discussions addressed key issues such as terrorism and human trafficking along the shared border. Naqvi emphasized the necessity of close coordination between the security agencies of both nations to thwart terrorist activities and their financial backers. He also stressed the importance of preventing smuggling via sea routes.
Iranian Interior Minister Momeni outlined three priority areas to enhance trade: improving commercial truck transit, increasing bilateral trade to $10 billion, and modernizing the railway line on the Pakistani side of the border. Momeni emphasized the need for Pakistan to focus on upgrading the railway near the Taftan border and expanding trade at the Rimdan crossing.
The Iranian delegation proposed initiatives to facilitate trade, such as establishing banking relations, increasing Iranian petroleum exports to Pakistan, and enhancing agricultural cooperation. They also suggested developing corridor links and forming a joint committee to address trade issues, particularly in Sistan-and-Baluchestan and Pakistan's Balochistan provinces.
Both sides expressed a desire to sign a free trade agreement, with Iran indicating readiness for close cooperation if amendments to the initial text were necessary. Iran also showed interest in building cold storage facilities and a slaughterhouse at a Pakistani border point to boost livestock and meat trade.
Naqvi announced a commitment to operationalize a sea route between Chabahar and Gwadar, viewing it as a critical step toward advancing bilateral trade. Additionally, the Iranian delegation discussed facilitating Pakistan's aviation needs with the country's civil aviation authority.
Naqvi voiced concerns about terrorism from Afghan territory, calling for enhanced Iran-Pakistan coordination. He reiterated Pakistan's stance on Afghanistan and its readiness for dialogue.
In conclusion, Momeni highlighted several agreed-upon outcomes, including the early opening of a new Kohak-Chedgi border crossing, the expansion of trade at the Rimdan-Gabd crossing, and railway modernization. He also mentioned Pakistan's consideration of formal permits for live livestock exports to Iran, aiming to prevent trade revenues from benefiting smugglers, with an objective to raise bilateral trade to $5 billion by leveraging agricultural potential.