- Iranian president reiterates commitment to take trade volume to $5b within next five years
- Says Iran as a strategic partner will always explore its potential in field of oil, gas to satisfy needs of Pakistanis
- PM Sharif says Pak-Iran bilateral ties should reflect in trade and investment through robust economic partnership
- Says lifting of sanctions on Iran, reemergence of growth in Pakistan will encourage two sides to take fullest advantage of potential
Iranian President Dr Hassan Rouhani on Saturday assured the Pakistan government that provision of its energy security was Iran’s responsibility, besides reiterating bilateral commitment to take volume of trade to $5 billion within the next five years.
“In the presence of distinguished prime minister of Pakistan, officials, authorities, tradesmen, entrepreneurs and delegates, I announce that Iran is responsible for provision of Pakistan’s energy security. Based on our commitments in the area of electricity, based on our commitment in the area of gas – we have fulfilled our responsibility and will fulfill in the future,” the Iranian president said (in translated comment) while addressing the Pakistan-Iran Joint Business Forum here.
The landmark announcement was received by the audience with applause since the Pakistan government was also striving hard to steer the country of the ongoing energy crisis.
Organised by the Ministry of Commerce, the forum was also addressed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who reiterated his government’s resolve to inject around 12,000 MW of electricity by 2018 and another 13,000 afterwards, as the country was actively executing the various power projects.
Rouhani apprised the audience of his government’s desire to bring prosperity not only in Pakistan but in the whole region through his vision of regional integration. He said that gas pipeline had reached Pakistani border and of course Iran was ready to expand and develop this cooperation.
“The Pakistani nation should rest assured that Iran as a strategic partner for them will always explore its potential in the field of oil and gas to satisfy the needs of the Pakistanis,” he remarked.
Both President Rouhani and PM Sharif observed that there existed immense potential to harness the bilateral ties in the fields of trade, investment, culture, and science and technology; however, the bilateral trade volume was far below and needed to be raised up to the mark. The Iranian president, who reached here Friday on a two-day visit along with a high-level delegation, also drew attention of both the countries to complement each other as in today’s era the development of states was interlinked.
He highlighted the areas in which his country was enormously rich like gas, electricity, technical education, engineering besides construction of roads, dams and rail network.
Rouhani said the tradesmen, entrepreneurs and state sector should cooperate in order to realise that Iran after its nuclear agreement and in the post-sanctions era was an emerging economy and would play its role in the area.
Mentioning the bilateral ties rooted in the historic, cultural and religious bonds, Rouhani said both the countries should establish a partnership in the fields of transit and tourism. He said that Iranian economy was resistive and that was why it survived despite remarkable decrease in oil prices which affected many oil exporting countries.
He said Iran’s policy was to develop constructive engagement with its neighbours especially countries like Pakistan for having several commonalities.
Seconding Prime Minister Sharif’s remarks, Rouhani said Allama Iqbal was revered in Iran just like Hafiz Sherazi and Sheikh Saadi had respect among the Pakistanis.
The Iranian president, who met Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif earlier in the day, lauded the struggle of Pakistan Army for peace in the country and the achievements it had made.
“The Pakistani nation is our significance, and we are proud of that and of course, we consider the influence and power of Pakistan Army as our own power and influence. Our defence and security sectors should cooperate with each other for further security of the borders and the region”, he added.
Rouhani suggested that both the brotherly countries enhanced cooperation in the banking sector besides enhancing role of private sector by engaging in the fields of trade, economy and academics.
Addressing the forum, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that interaction between eminent businessmen from Pakistan and Iran would expand economic cooperation between the two countries.
He said the bilateral ties were rooted in cultural and historic affinities, but this closeness was not reflected in the trade and investment, so the two sides should work to transform these historic ties into robust economic partnership.
He said with the lifting of sanctions on Iran and reemergence of growth in Pakistan, the target of $ 5 billion was within their reach and cooperation in multiple fields and would encourage the two sides to take fullest advantage of the potential.
Sharif said Pakistan’s economy had emerged from the challenge of extremism that had caused the loss of country’s two per cent of GDP. He also said the modern and progressive Pakistan, envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, could not be realised without eliminating the menace.
He said the pillar of his government’s constructive engagement was the regional integration through corridors and establishing trade partnership, not only with immediate neighbours but South as well as Central Asia.
Sharif said that despite possessing nearly 70 per cent of world’s energy resources and representing one fourth of global population, the collective share of the Islamic countries in the global GDP was insignificant, and stressed the need for promoting economic integration and liberal trade relations among them for economic growth.
He said as members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as well as D-8, Iran and Pakistan had a great opportunity to demonstrate benefits achieved through increased economic trade and technological cooperation.
The PM encouraged the participants of the forum to avail the opportunity to create linkages and share prosperity through economic integration.
I believe what the Iranian President says. But unfortunately, can not believe what our own leaders say because they don't mean what they say. Let us complete the incomplete part of IPP gas project which Iran completed untill our border but we did not under pressure from a country which is thousands of miles away and looks to it's interests only. We should learn from the courage of the Iranian nation how they faced the sanctions for years and stood their ground.
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