Iran Eyes Expanded Economic Cooperation with Pakistan via Karachi, Gwadar Ports
Iran on Tuesday expressed interest in expanding trade and economic cooperation with Pakistan through the ports of Karachi and Gwadar, as a delegation from Tehran met with Pakistani business representatives in Islamabad, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
Iran has expressed interest in broadening economic ties with Pakistan, with a particular focus on increasing bilateral trade and strengthening cross-border connectivity.
According to Radio Pakistan, Iranian Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mohammad Atabak led a delegation from Tehran to Islamabad, where he co-chaired the 10th session of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Trade Committee with Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan.
During the meeting, Atabak highlighted Iran’s desire to expand economic cooperation with Pakistan, describing the neighbouring country as a “brotherly nation”. He said Tehran attaches high importance to developing comprehensive relations with Islamabad.
The Iranian minister also said negotiations on the Iran-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement were making progress and expressed hope that the process would be successfully completed in the near future. Speaking at the meeting, Jam Kamal Khan stressed the importance of making joint border markets fully operational to improve economic opportunities and livelihoods in border communities.
He said the private sectors of both countries had mutual trust and were prepared to increase trade, adding that it was the responsibility of the governments to establish a seamless, structured and predictable business environment. Khan also called for the completion of economic roadmaps aimed at taking Pakistan-Iran trade and investment ties to a new level.
The meeting comes nearly two weeks after Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Islamabad, where he met Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi. During the talks, Pakistan and Iran agreed to enhance cooperation in the railway sector and improve cross-border connectivity.
The two sides also discussed the possible revival of the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) freight train service and measures to strengthen regional transport links.
In April, Pakistan had notified six routes for the transportation of goods to Iran against an encashable bank guarantee. The arrangement was formalised through a statutory regulatory order issued by the Ministry of Commerce, titled the Transit of Goods through the Territory of Pakistan Order 2026.
The latest developments follow a series of agreements signed by Pakistan and Iran last year to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, expand electricity exchanges and improve communication channels with the aim of substantially increasing bilateral trade.
The protocols were signed at the conclusion of a meeting of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission (JEC) in Tehran. An announcement by Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce said the agreements were intended to support efforts to achieve a bilateral trade target of $10 billion.
