Pakistan, Iran exchange several agreements, MoUs

Pakistan and Iran on Sunday exchanged twelve agreements and MoUs for promotion of bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.

The exchange ceremony was held in Islamabad on Sunday, in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian.

The agreements and MoUs included cooperation for plant protection and plant quarantine, joint use of Mirjaveh-Taftan border gate, collaboration in science, technology and innovation, cooperation in information and communications technology, exchange programs for culture, art, tourism, youth, mass media and exports, cooperation in meteorology, climatology and related hazards, MoUs on maritime safety and firefighting, judicial assistance in criminal matters, supplemental MoU to an MoU in 2013 related to air services agreement, MoU on recognition of products certification, inspection and testing, tourism cooperation for 2025-27 and joint ministerial statement on the intent to finalize Free Trade Agreement.

Earlier, Pakistan and Iran agreed to taking the annual bilateral trade volume to $8 billion, as trade ministers agreed to boost economic cooperation and mutual trade.

Pakistan’s Minister for Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan, and Iranian Minister for Industry, Mine and Trade, Mohammad Atabak, in a meeting in Islamabad reached to the agreement.

The volume of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Iran reached $2.8 billion in the fiscal year that ended in June this year.

The ministers agreed to give a new direction to bilateral trade and enhance the pace of cooperation.

Jam Kamal said that it is time to boost trade ties with Iran and turn geographical proximity into economic advantage.

The ministers also stressed the importance of increasing cross-border cooperation and agreed to expedite the upcoming session of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission.