BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
The trade turnover between Iran and Pakistan can be increased by $14 billion a year if the necessary infrastructure is created, said Reza Aghazadeh the Director-General for Asia and Pacific Office of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI), Trend reports citing the organization.
He made the remark in an online meeting on trade between Iranian and Pakistani startups.
Aghazadeh stressed that there is great potential to increase the quantity and quality of trade turnover between the two countries. One of these potentials is to increase joint investments, given Iran's rich production potential and energy resources.
The director-general added that the potential of Iran's Chabahar port and Pakistan's Guvadar port can be used to increase the current trade turnover between the two countries.
“Pakistan is the fourth largest importer of Iranian products between Iran's neighboring countries. Thus, the trade turnover between the two countries exceeded $840 million during the first 9 months of the current Iranian year (March 20 through December 20, 2020),” he said.
According to him, Iran exported industrial, chemical, agricultural, food products, and construction materials to Pakistan over the reporting period.
Aghazadeh noted that Iran exported $710 million worth of goods to Pakistan and imported $131 million worth of goods from Pakistan within the nine months.
“The TPOI calls on startups of the two countries to prepare plans to increase trade relations. So, these plans should be approved at the meeting of the 9th Joint Trade Committee of Iran and Pakistan,” the director-general said.
He also noted that a meeting of the 9th Joint Trade Committee of Iran and Pakistan will be held in Tehran in the near future.