Pakistani Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani says Tehran and Islamabad have agreed to
boost bilateral trade to $10 billion in coming years.
Addressing a joint press conference with Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi in Tehran on Monday, Gilani said, “The enhancement will promote regional peace and convergence,” IRNA reported.
Trade volume between the two nations jumped from $141 million in 2000 to $1 billion last year.
“We agreed to expand our projects in the field of electricity transfer from Iran to Pakistan,” Gilani added.
During a meeting on Monday Gilani and Rahimi pledged to deepen bilateral ties in different fields and to speed up work on the ongoing joint projects.
The two officials held detailed discussion on promoting cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, energy, banking, trade, agriculture, education and oil and gas.
They called for the need to rapid implementation of the $7.5 billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project which is expected to be completed by mid-2014.
The Iranian official said Iran considers Pakistan as an important country and attaches immense importance to relations with its neighbor.
“Iran desires to improve its bilateral relations with Pakistan,” Rahimi said, adding that the friendship of two countries goes back to many decades.
He underlined the need for both countries to transform their neighboring ties into broad ranging economic and commercial ties.
Gilani arrived in Tehran on Sunday at the head of a high-ranking delegation, including Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.