Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri-Moghaddam has said that the relations between Pakistani and Iranian people are centuries old, adding, “We have not been able to convert the long-standing friendly relations into economic cooperation.”
Talking to journalists at a meal hosted by PML-N leader Muhammad Mehdi in Lahore, the Iranian ambassador said the bilateral trade volume between the two countries was worth $2.4 billion in the last financial year.
Common currency and barter trade can increase the trading volume tenfold, he commented, adding that some miscreants will try to ruin the Pakistan-Iran relations, but the leadership and people of both countries will thwart all such efforts.
The ambassador further said Pakistan and Iran had common interests and faced the same threats. “However, friendly relations between the two countries can reduce these risks,” he added.
Mr Amiri-Moghaddam said Pakistani wheat, rice, meat, and textiles were in great demand in Iran, while Iranian oil and gas were desired the most in Pakistan. Iran can also export tractors and agricultural implements to Pakistan.
Talking about the Palestine issue, the envoy said that Arab countries' relations with Israel is a strategic mistake. Israel considers the entire Arab region its territory. For this purpose, “the Zionist nation wants to occupy from the West Bank to the Euphrates River, and the Arab countries will not be able to stop Israel's expansionism”.
