Iran Seeks to Expand Trade with Pakistan Through Karachi and Gwadar Ports
Islamabad, The Gulf Observer: Iran has expressed keen interest in expanding trade and economic cooperation with Pakistan by utilizing the ports of Karachi and Gwadar, as both neighboring countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral commercial relations during a high-level meeting in Islamabad.
The commitment was made during the 10th session of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Trade Committee, co-chaired by Pakistan’s Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad Atabak. The two sides reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation and discussed measures to further enhance trade, investment, and connectivity.
Speaking at the meeting, Atabak described Pakistan as a “brotherly country” and said Tehran attaches the highest priority to expanding comprehensive cooperation with Islamabad. He emphasized the strategic importance of Karachi and Gwadar ports as complementary gateways for the re-export of Iranian goods and the supply of raw materials to Iranian industries, while also promoting broader regional economic integration.
The Iranian minister noted that negotiations on a Pakistan-Iran Free Trade Agreement (FTA) are progressing steadily and expressed confidence that the agreement would be finalized in the near future. He also called for the early implementation of the existing Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and greater use of barter trade mechanisms to accelerate bilateral commerce.
Highlighting the strategic geographical positions of both countries along key East-West transport corridors, Atabak said enhanced cooperation in transport and transit infrastructure would improve connectivity between European and Asian markets and strengthen the regional competitiveness of both nations.
Pakistan and Iran have set an ambitious target of increasing bilateral trade to $10 billion, with both governments expressing optimism that improved logistics, expanded port cooperation, and closer economic coordination will help achieve that goal in the coming years.
