Head of Tran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and
Agriculture (TCCIMA) Masoud Khansari and Chief Executive of Trade Development
Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Muhammad Zubair Motiwala expressed the need for
the expansion of relations between the private sectors of the two countries in
a meeting in Tehran.
The officials emphasized that the trade between the two
countries should not be limited to the border trade in Quetta and must be
directed to official channels between the private production and export
companies of the two countries, the TCCIMA portal reported.
Speaking at the meeting, Motiwala announced the readiness of
his organization for long-term and progressive interaction with TCCIMA in order
to facilitate the commercial exchanges of the two sides’ economic enterprises.
He stressed the need for continuous exchange of business
delegations with the aim of introducing the economic and market cooperation
capacities of the two countries and identifying the goods and services needed
by the markets of both sides.
According to the official, the chambers of commerce in the
two countries can provide the basis for the expansion of interaction between
the private sectors of the two countries.
Motiwala also considered the revision and modification of
the tariffs on commodities traded between the two countries as necessary to
increase the level of economic cooperation, and in this regard, he reminded
that Pakistan is taking serious measures.
Khansari for his part, welcomed the ideas presented by the
Pakistani side and emphasized the need for amending the tariffs on goods
exchanged between Iran and Pakistan.
“A complete list of commodities needed by the markets of the
two countries has been prepared by the Tehran Chamber of Commerce which has
been compiled by the data provided by reliable companies,” Khansari said.
Stating that the main channel of trade between the two
countries is border exchanges which are almost entirely carried out through the
Quetta border, the TCCIMA head said, “In order to strengthen the economic
relations between Iran and Pakistan, the trade of the two countries should move
away from cross-border exchanges towards interaction between large industries
and companies from both sides.
In this context, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan
and the country’s chambers of commerce should encourage the reputable and big
industries and businessmen of Pakistan to have direct economic cooperation with
the Iranian market.”
Lately, Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammad-Ali Hosseini
and Pakistani Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar discussed the ways
for increasing trade between the two countries in a meeting in Islamabad.
Expressing their satisfaction that the trade between the two
countries exceeded US$2 billion, the two sides emphasized the need to take more
effective steps to strengthen economic cooperation and help expand trade
relations.
During the meeting, the Pakistani minister said that
Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with the friendly and
brotherly country of Iran.
Appreciating the efforts of the Iranian ambassador during
his diplomatic mission in Pakistan in order to strengthen the brotherly
relations between the two neighboring countries, Senator Ishaq Dar praised the
measures taken especially in the commercial and economic fields.
Expressing their satisfaction with the value of trade
between Iran and Pakistan, which has exceeded two billion US dollars, the two
sides emphasized the need to identify new ways to help increase trade and
develop economic cooperation.
Emphasizing the country's economic outlook, Pakistan's finance
minister expressed confidence that despite economic challenges, Pakistan is on
the path of progress and development.
Iranian ambassador to Pakistan has appreciated the
cooperation and support of the Pakistani government for the development of
bilateral relations in various fields, and stated that the potential capacities
of Iran and Pakistan are the main factor for the expansion of joint
cooperation.
He added that bilateral trade between Iran and Pakistan has
now reached US$2.4 billion, but it is not compatible with the good political
and people relations of the two neighbors and more efforts should be made to
support the business community of the two countries.
Back in January, Iran and Pakistan signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) to facilitate bilateral trade between the two countries.
The MOU was signed by Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion
Organization (TPO) Alireza Peyman-Pak and Muhammad Zubair Motiwala.
Based on the MOU, which was signed on the sidelines of
Iran’s Exclusive Exhibition in Karachi, the parties pledged to exchange
business information, support each other’s private sectors, and provide the
conditions and context for the presence of their trade delegations in the other
country.
It was also agreed that both sides would take all the
necessary measures to facilitate holding exhibitions in the opposite country,
whenever required.
Speaking in the signing ceremony, Peyman-Pak said that
signing this MOU was indicative of the two sides’ determination for removing
the obstacles in the way of bilateral trade and prepare the ground for the
businesspersons of both sides to bolster cooperation.
He considered the holding of exclusive exhibitions,
exchanging trade delegations and investment in joint production units as
positive steps for knowing the capacities and needs of the two countries and
expressed hope that such events would continue.
The TPO head further mentioned some obstacles and
infrastructural problems that are hindering the two countries' mutual trade,
including lack of banking relations, problems related to sea transportation and
logistics, and tariff-related issues, saying that the Iranian government is
willing to resolve such problems in collaboration with the Pakistani
government.
Motiwala said that the signed MOU is regarded as a major
step to enhance bilateral trade to reach the target of US$5 billion annually.
