Commitment to Boost Pakistan–Iran Trade to $10 Billion in the Coming Years
Islamabad, IRNA – Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is due to pay an official visit to Iran, hails relations between the two countries, saying that both sides have stood together in all conditions.
Sharif made the comments in an exclusive interview with IRNA, which was conducted ahead of his Monday visit to Tehran. He also commented on the ongoing indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States, expressing hope that the talks will yield positive results.
The following is the full interview of Pakistan’s prime minister:
One of my best memories is meeting the late President Ebrahim Raisi before his martyrdom in a tragic plane crash. Pakistan was the last country he visited before his passing away. May Allah rest his soul in peace.
He was a very inspiring, thoughtful, and farsighted person. I had an excellent interaction with him. We both decided to elevate Pakistan-Iran ties to the highest level and diversify its base to a range of areas. I am very glad that it has been successfully done. Today our relationship is far more robust and stronger.
I am visiting Iran again at the invitation of President Masoud Pezeshkian. Since his assumption of office, I have met him several times and have had numerous telephone conversations with him.
The principal objective of my visit is to thank Iran for supporting and standing by us during our conflict with India.
India, as you know, imposed war on us, which we repulsed through a decisive but measured and well-calibrated response consistent with international humanitarian law.
So, I want to thank the Iranian leadership for its support and its offer for mediation, which we accepted but India rejected. I will also take this opportunity to discuss our bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest during the visit.
I must say I am very impressed by the diplomatic prowess of Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. In very complex geo-political times, he has shown statesmanship in handling the immensity of challenges.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) greets Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Pakistan has stood by Iran on Israel’s genocidal and catastrophic war on Gaza. Islamabad and Tehran will continue to support each other on issues of the Muslim Ummah and regional cooperation.
I strongly believe that the economic destiny of both Iran and Pakistan is linked.
We have a border of about 900 kilometers. I personally believe that a strong economic linkage between Pakistan’s Balochistan and Iran’s Sistan-and-Baluchestan can be good for the entire region. It can also be very effective in dealing with terrorism. We have signed some memoranda of understanding about developing projects between the provinces.
I think that is very important and what is required is the sustained economic engagement between Iran and Pakistan.
Our trade is about $3 billion. It has increased significantly in the past three to four years. We want to take it up to $10 billion in the next few years, but I think the potential is much larger than that as well.
We are discussing signing a free trade agreement (FTA). I think in the next ten years, the trade volume between the two countries will expand a great deal. The need is to have sustained economic engagements for the long term between Pakistan and Iran.
Iran-U.S. talks
We believe that negotiations, diplomacy, and engagement are the best solutions because, in this way, we can avoid conflicts and wars.
It is important to promote peace, development, and security in the region. I have great faith in Iran’s leadership. I am quite hopeful that positive things will come out of these negotiations.
On behalf of Pakistan, I wish peace and stability prevail in the region.
As I have stated earlier, we are grateful to Iran for its offer of mediation, which showed Iran’s sincerity and wisdom in promoting peace and stability in the region. We are also grateful to President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Araqchi for their efforts to defuse tensions in South Asia. These efforts demonstrate that Iran wants to pursue peace and stability and avoid war, which can inflict incalculable damage on the people and the region.
I strongly believe that until the resolution of the conflicts of Kashmir and Palestine, there can be no peace and justice in the region. It is critically important that these issues are resolved by the aspirations of their people.
