By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Iran and Pakistan signed eight agreements on Monday, including a security cooperation pact, as they sought to strengthen ties and boost trade to $10 billion, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said.
The signing took place during Raisi’s three-day visit to Islamabad, which began on Monday.
“Today in our meeting with [the Pakistani] prime minister, and other members of the respective cabinet, we decided to promote the bilateral relations between the two countries at political, economic, trade, culture, and other levels as far as possible,” Raisi said at a joint press conference with Pakistani premier Shehbaz Sharif.
“The economic and trade volume between Iran and Pakistan is not acceptable at all and we have decided at the first step to increase the trade volume between our two countries to $10 billion,” Raisi added.
The agreements cover various fields, including trade, science and technology, agriculture, health, culture, and judicial matters. They include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the establishment of the Rimdan-Gabd Joint Free/Special Zone and another on cooperation between the Ministry of Cooperative Labour and Social Welfare of Iran and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistani and Human Resources Development of Pakistan.
Raisi’s visit to Pakistan comes amid regional tensions, following Iran’s airstrikes on Israel last week and Israel’s retaliatory attack on Friday. His visit is the first by any head of state to Pakistan after the South Asian nation’s contentious elections of February 2024 and the formation of a new government headed by Sharif.
The Iranian president emphasized the need for both countries to work together to combat terrorism, organized crime, narcotics, and various forms of insecurity.
“There are a number of common positions and stances between our two countries when it comes, for instance, to fighting against terrorism,” he said, adding that Iran and Pakistan shared a lengthy common border, which presented an opportunity to create and bring about welfare for the people residing in border areas and regions.
Sharif said both countries collectively needed to work to strengthen bilateral relations, transforming their shared border into a “beacon of development and prosperity.”
“Today presents an opportunity to forge our friendship into a catalyst for progress and prosperity and the decisions made today regarding economic progress and connectivity will yield visible results,” the PM said.
Sharif commended Iran’s stance against Israeli actions in Gaza and called for unity among Islamic nations to push for a complete ceasefire.
During his visit from April 22-24, the Iranian head of state is also scheduled to meet the Pakistani president, Senate chairman and National Assembly speaker. He will also visit the cities of Karachi and Lahore to meet the country’s provincial leadership.
“President Raisi will visit several Pakistani cities to meet with a number of ulema, elites, and business people there. A visit to Lahore, the cultural heart of Pakistan, is also among the president’s plans,” Iran’s news agency IRNA said.
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