ISLAMABAD – The
government said that Pakistan and Iran settled on Friday to improve economic bonds
and open two more border passages to upsurge trade.
In a declaration, Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani arrived on a two-day state stopover to Pakistan, met
with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and held discussions on stuffs of mutual
interest. “Our trade and economic bonds have suffered due to endorsements. We
have agreed to strengthen our two-sided bonds in varied areas of trade, economy
and energy,” quoted by Nawaz Sharif.
After the talks, Nawaz
and Rouhani countersigned the signing of six agreements related to trade and
economy including a “Five Year Strategic Trade Cooperation Plan”. The prime
minister said that both the countries also decided to open two additional
crossing passages along their border to upsurge trade.
The Iranian president
said that the two sides also explored the possibility of sea trade between
Pakistan's Gwadar Port and Iran's Chahbahar Port. “Pakistan and Iran consider each
other's security as their own security,” Rouhani said, adding that there was a
will and resolve of the two countries to battle extremist and terrorist groups
and not to allow such elements to smash peace in the region.
Pakistan is counting on a
joint project with Iran to solve a long-running power crisis that has sapped
economic growth. A $7.5-billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline envisioned to feed
Pakistani power plants was inaugurated with great trumpet blast in March 2013.
But the project immediately hit swamp in the form of international agreements
on Tehran.
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