Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met Iran's Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, Seyyed Mohammad Atabak, in Islamabad and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to strengthening economic and trade ties with the neighbouring country.
The meeting took place after the conclusion of the 10th session of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Trade Committee. The Iranian minister was accompanied by a six-member delegation.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz said Pakistan highly values its relationship with Iran and remains committed to promoting peace and stability in the region through sincere diplomatic efforts.
He expressed optimism that the two countries could achieve their target of $10 billion in bilateral trade through sustained cooperation and closer economic engagement.
The prime minister said both countries would benefit from expanding trade, particularly in food, agriculture and related products.
Focus on trade and connectivity
The two sides agreed to improve cross-border trade by increasing facilities to keep border crossings operational around the clock, enhancing logistics and harmonising customs procedures.
They also discussed expanding cooperation in the mining sector, with particular emphasis on the processing and value addition of precious stones.
Prime Minister Shehbaz noted that he had recently held a productive conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and conveyed his best wishes to the Iranian president and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei.
Iran seeks stronger economic ties
Iranian Industry Minister Seyyed Mohammad Atabak thanked Pakistan for its warm hospitality and praised Islamabad's diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the region.
He said Tehran was keen to further expand economic and trade relations with Pakistan and revealed that technical-level negotiations on a free tra
