Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, announced plans to elevate the trade volume between Iran and Pakistan to $10 billion on Monday, adding that the existing volume was “not acceptable” reports Dawn.
Raisi, who is on a three-day visit to Pakistan, emphasized the inadequacy of the current trade volume and highlighted the need for improvement.
This visit marks the first by any head of state following the February 8 general elections.
“We are committed to strengthening relations at high levels. […] Economic and trade volume between Iran and Pakistan is not acceptable at all. We have decided as a first step to increase the trade volume between our two countries to $10bn,” Raisi mentioned.
Discussing his meeting with PM Shehbaz, Raisi highlighted their decision to enhance bilateral relations across political, economic, trade, and cultural domains.
Pointing out the alignment of Iran and Pakistan on various issues, including terrorism, Raisi emphasized “Both countries are determined to fight against terrorism, organised crime, narcotics and different forms and manifestations of insecurity which endanger our two countries and at the same time the region”.
Enhanced Iran-Pakistan Relations: Cooperation, Diplomacy, and Regional Dynamics
“The great people of Iran changed the illegal and unfair sanctions imposed against my country into an opportunity […] Today, Iran is a great instance of development and technology and we register our readiness in order to share and transfer our expertise and our knowledge in this regard with the great people of Pakistan,” the president mentioned.
The Pakistani prime minister commended Raisi for Iran's firm position regarding the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians and has extended into its seventh month.
“The [United Nations] Security Council resolution is being shredded to bits and the entire world is silent,” the Pakistani PM added.
Iran and Pakistan inked eight agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering a range of areas, such as security, judicial cooperation in civil matters, and veterinary and animal health, according to Radio Pakistan.
Among these agreements, one focuses on establishing a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), while another involves facilitating film exchanges and fostering collaboration between Pakistan's information ministry and Iran's Organisation of Cinema and Audiovisual Affairs.
Raisi's planned trip to Pakistan coincided with rising tensions in the Middle East, notably spurred by Iran's retaliatory missile and drone assault on Israel following an airstrike on the Iranian consular building in Damascus carried out by Israel.
Despite these events, Tehran downplayed the presumed Israeli attack and indicated a lack of intention for retaliation. This response seemed aimed at preventing the conflict in Gaza from spreading into a broader regional confrontation.