Speaking at the Iran-Pakistan Business Conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, Pir-Moazzen said Tehran and Islamabad must move beyond mere trade and, by strengthening cooperation, develop a suitable model to enhance their economic relations.
He also highlighted the importance of utilizing the port capacities of Chabahar and Karachi in trade.
He called for reducing clearance times and facilitating the release of goods, reducing stoppages at border areas, developing cooperation in transportation and corridors, creating a database of private-sector actors from both sides, providing a list of goods that both countries can trade, and ultimately removing tariff and non-tariff barriers.
He lauded Iran’s unique industrial position in the region, and stressed the possibility of joint production and investment between Iran and Pakistan.
The Iranian and Pakistani private sectors are ready to multiply trade; however, to achieve this, barriers that have existed for years on trade between the two countries must be removed.
Pir-Moazzen reiterated the need to resolve banking and money transfer issues.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he emphasized the importance of removing barriers in transportation and logistics.
Cargo routes between the two countries must become faster, cheaper, and more predictable, he said.
Accordingly, developing cooperation between ports, railways, road transport, and especially utilizing the capacities of Chabahar and Karachi, can develop Iran-Pakistan trade, he stated.
Pir-Moazzen proposed establishing a dispute resolution and arbitration mechanism between the chambers of commerce of the two countries.
Iran can offer significant capacities to Pakistan’s private sector in energy, petrochemicals, food industries, agriculture, technology, and industrial equipment fields, he said.
Pakistan also has a large market and can serve as a gateway for Iranian companies to South Asian markets, he stressed.
He highlighted Iran’s geographical position to provide access routes for Pakistani companies to the markets of Central Asia, the Caucasus, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf countries.
9376**7129**9417