ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran have signed agreements in the fields of politics, economy, culture and other vital sectors, Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday, as Tehran and Islamabad eye raising their bilateral trade to $10 billion.
Pezeshkian arrived in Pakistan鈥檚 capital on Saturday on a two-day state visit to increase bilateral trade and strengthen relations between the two countries.
Pakistan and Iran have remained at odds over instability along their shared, porous border that even led to a missile exchange between them last year. Both countries, however, were quick to move to ease tensions.
Iran and Pakistan have attempted to forge closer economic and investment ties through border markets and trade links in recent years.
鈥淢y deep belief is that we can easily, in a short time, increase the volume of our trade relations from the current $3 billion to the projected goal of $10 billion,鈥 Pezeshkian told reporters during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and high-level delegations from both countries in attendance.
鈥淲e reached good agreements in the political, economic, commercial, and cultural fields during this visit,鈥 he said.
The Iranian president said Islamabad and Tehran had signed 鈥渋mportant documents鈥 that would facilitate and promote bilateral ties in commercial, cultural, tourism, transportation and scientific and educational exchanges between the two nations.
鈥淭he development of transit routes, railroad and sea routes, the development and equipping of border markets facilitating trade and the establishment of joint free economic zones, are serious needs in the relations between the two countries,鈥 Pezeshkian noted.
鈥淎nd we had constructive discussions on those issues.鈥
Pakistan and Iran routinely trade blame for not tackling militancy in their shared border areas. The Iranian president said the issue had come up in talks between both sides.
鈥淎lso, given the threats from terrorist groups in border areas, increasing cooperation between the two countries to ensure border security and the peace and comfort of citizens in border cities was emphasized,鈥 he said.
The Iranian president condemned Israel for its military operations in Palestine, Syria and other areas of the Middle East, calling for the cessation of hostilities in Gaza.
Sharif welcomed the Iranian president to Pakistan and said the two sides held fruitful discussions on culture, religion, history and geography.
He condemned Israel鈥檚 attack on Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities in June, saying there was no justification for the attacks. Both leaders also called for an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.
Both countries exchanged 12 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, Pakistani state media reported.
The agreements included collaboration in science, technology and innovation, cooperation in information and communications technology, exchange programs for culture, art, tourism, youth, mass media and exports, cooperation in meteorology, climatology and related hazards, maritime safety and firefighting, judicial assistance in criminal matters, product certification, inspection and testing, and tourism cooperation.
The Pakistani prime minister hoped the memoranda of understanding signed between Pakistan and Iran would 鈥渟oon鈥 convert into agreements.
鈥淢r. President, today we have signed many MoUs and it is my prayer and your wish that these MoUs become agreements very soon,鈥 Sharif said.
鈥淎nd it is your wish and mine too that we achieve the target of $10 billion in trade as soon as possible,鈥 he added.
He said Iran and Pakistan had the same stance when it came to 鈥渢errorism,鈥 adding that both countries were opposed to it.
Sharif vowed that Pakistan and Iran, through partnership and cooperation, would take steps against militants to ensure peace in their border areas.
In a meeting with President Pezeshkian later, PM Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan鈥檚 solidarity with Iran after it fought 鈥淚srael鈥檚 aggression鈥 in their 12-day war in June. He also thanked Iran for its strong support to Pakistan during a Pakistan-India military standoff in May, according to Sharif鈥檚 office.
During the talks, both sides also exchanged views on important regional and global developments.
鈥淭he Prime Minister thanked the Iranian leadership for Iran鈥檚 vocal and active support for the innocent Palestinian people, who have been suffering brutal aggression at the hands of Israeli security forces,鈥 Sharif鈥檚 office said in a statement, calling for an immediate end to 鈥淚sraeli barbarity鈥 against innocent people of Gaza who were being 鈥渇orced to starve.鈥
鈥淏oth leaders urged the international community to act swiftly to resolve this crisis.鈥
