National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has stressed on enhancing trade and commercial ties between Pakistan and Iran to bring the two states closer in all other spheres of mutual concern.
He made these remarks during his formal talks with Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in Majlis on Saturday at the start of the three-day official bilateral visit of Pakistan’s parliamentary delegation to Iran.
Speaker Ayaz, who arrived in the Iranian capital, held a busy round of meetings with the top parliamentary and political leadership, discussing critical issues of border security, Afghanistan, Middle East situation, Yemen and Syrian crisis, trade and commerce and other issues of mutual concern.
During his meeting with Speaker Larijani, Speaker Ayaz stressed on the two sides to work closely for the progress of the two nations and for the entire Muslim world. “We must not fall prey to the sectarian divide and think for Muslim unity and prosperity,” he said.
He lamented the fact that though the two countries shared a common border of over 920 kms and yet the trade volume between the two neighbors was disappointingly low. He noted that the recent Joint Economic Commission had set the target of taking the bilateral trade volume to the figure of five billion dollars.
However, given the existing potential, this could easily be raised to three times. He stressed on the Iranian side to lift the tariff barriers on Pakistani exports of rice, citrus, fruits, cotton and other items. He also invited Iran to join the CPEC to boost Iranian exports.
Citing the long-standing religious, cultural and emotional ties between the two nations, Ayaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s support to Iran for regional peace and Iran’s sovereignty. “There are powers who do not want peace in the Muslim world and we must understand this greater international conspiracy,” he said.
On Afghanistan issue, he said that the regional issues should be resolved by the countries of the region without interference of any foreign involvement. He also highlighted the condition of Muslims in Jammu Kashmir and said Pakistan considers solution of Kashmir issue through UN resolutions and political dialogue.
Speaker Larijani also welcomed the parliamentary delegation and extended Iran’s cooperation and support in his remarks. He praised the speaker’s frank approach and said that he fully trusted the sincerer of his Pakistani counterpart. “You speak from your heart so I believe in every word of yours,” he said.
The two speakers have agreed to provide the parliamentary imputes to the ongoing peace initiatives and in this regard, Iran declared its support to Pakistan’s parliamentary initiative of a quadrilateral Parliamentary Peace Conference of China, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.