Pakistan, Iran should find ways to step up bilateral trade: PM Imran

TEHRAN: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said it was time that both Pakistan and Iran should find out ways and means to enhance their bilateral trade to exploit the existing potential, ARY News reported.

“The countries, which have been doing well in the economic sector like China, South East Asia and ASEAN nations, have a higher proportion of bilateral trade with their neighbouring countries,” Prime Minister Imran Khan said while addressing the business community of Pakistan and Iran here during his two-day visit to Iran.

Nevertheless unfortunately, Pakistan, Iran, India and Afghanistan had a very low proportion of bilateral trade with the neighboring countries, he said.

PM Khan said Iran being a nation of 80 million people and Pakistan with 210 million population should have been big economies but because of variety of reasons the two countries had not been able to exploit the trade potential.

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Irrespective of the fact that Iran had been facing sanctions and Pakistan was also going through difficult period, the two countries should start developing bilateral trade, he added.

Premier Imran Khan told the business community that only ten percent of rice was exported directly from Pakistan and the rest was done indirectly.

He said given the prevailing situation, both the countries should start cogitating to find out ways and means to enhance the bilateral trade.

The prime minister also shared his experience of visiting the shrine of Hazrat Imam Raza (AS) in Mashhad on Sunday.

Later, PM Khan along with his economic team responded to the questions from the audience.