Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that Pakistan-Iran border markets will not only uplift socioeconomic conditions but also will create new business opportunities for people in the border regions.
In an interview with Iran’s news agency IRNA on Thursday, May 18, the prime minister emphasized the importance of enhanced cooperation with Iran – adding energy projects and border markets were significantly important for the two neighboring and brotherly countries.
Along with Iran’s President Sayed Ebrahim Raisi, prime minister Sharif inaugurated the Mand-Pishin border substance market aimed at boosting bilateral trade between the two countries. This is one of the six border markets which will be constructed along the Pak-Iran common border.
“Both governments are collaborating closely for the betterment and socio-economic uplift of our peoples,” Sharif said.
He said the Mandi-Pishin border marketplace and the Polan-Gawdar electricity projects were tangible examples of this resolve – adding efforts are ongoing to increase bilateral trade between the two countries.
Both countries are committed to achieving an annual trade volume of $5 billion, and it is planned to use a barter mechanism, an important step that would further facilitate trade without relying much on foreign currencies.
Also, Prime Minister Sharif congratulated the governments of Iran and Saudi Arabia for the normalization of relations and resumption of diplomatic ties between the countries.
The prime minister believed that the Polan-Gwadar electricity project was emblematic of the vitality of Pakistan-Iran friendship and a testimony of the strength of mutual cooperation. He said completion of the project in record time manifested the potential of bilateral cooperation, Associate Press of Pakistan reported.
Meanwhile, he reiterated the continuation of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. currently, Afghanistan is faced with multiple and complex challenges in the security, economic and humanitarian domains. Over 28 million people or two-thirds of the entire population, require urgent humanitarian assistance to survive.
