Baku, Azerbaijan, May 12
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran and Pakistan will hold a joint economic cooperation commission meeting in the next three months to pursue further expansion of economic ties, Iranian economy minister has announced.
"Unfortunately the trade turnover between the two countries has fallen from $3 billion to one billion dollars in recent years," Ali Tayyebnia said, Iran's ISNA news agency reported on May 12.
Tayyebnia expressed hope that the figure will roll back to its earlier level.
He went on to note that the trade turnover between Iran and Pakistan is even capable of surpassing $5 billion in the future.
Iran and Pakistan signed nine memorandums of understanding to promote cooperation between the two countries in different sectors during a meeting between Iran's first vice president Eshaq Jahangiri and Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Tehran on May 11.
Heading a high-ranking delegation, Sharif arrived in Tehran on May 11 for an official two-day visit. He held meetings with senior Iranian officials including Supreme Leader, Ali Khamanei, President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Sharif's visit to Tehran is his first since the formation of new governments in the two neighboring countries.
Edited by C.N.