Pakistan Committed To IP Project: Minister

Islamabad, Feb 7, IRNA -- Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on Monday said that Pakistan is committed to the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project. Inaugurating the bilateral cooperation meeting, along with Iran’s Vice President for International Affairs Ali Seedlou, the minister suggested that both the countries should strengthen their trade and economic ties. He expressed pleasure to welcome Iran’s Vice President for International Affairs Ali Seedlou and his delegation. Hafeez Sheikh said that Iran-Pakistan enjoy strong brotherly relations and their historic relationship provide basis for strong economic ties. “We are close religiously, geographically and culturally, and we should strengthen our trade and economic ties,” added the minister. Last year Pakistan-Iran trade volume had reached 1.5 billion dollars which is below the potential of the two countries, he noted. “We should increase our cooperation in agriculture, livestock and energy sectors”, Hafeez Sheikh said, adding that the private sector should be given more incentives. Hafeez Sheikh viewed better road and railway links to enhance Iran-Pakistan economic cooperation. He added Pakistan is committed to Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. He said that last year Pakistan had seen export growth of 9 percent. The minister thanked the Iranian government for providing assistance of 100 million dollars to flood victims in Pakistan. Seedlou, for his part, voiced Iran’s readiness to complete gas pipeline to Pakistan before due time. He said Iran-Pakistan ties have been friendly, and cooperation between the two brotherly countries is growing in different fields. He opined there is a lot of potential to enhance economic and trade relations between the two neighbors. Referring to Iran’s 100-million-dollar assistance to Pakistan’s flood-stricken people, he said Iran’s road ministry is keen to cooperate with Pakistan in reconstructing devastated areas. Pointing to the upcoming visit to Pakistan of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he said Tehran has no restrictions on expansion of ties with Islamabad. The delegation consisting of economic personalities and private sector activists accompanied the Saeedlou during the meeting. Earlier upon his arrival Saeedlou had said holding seminars and meetings between Iranian and Pakistani officials and visiting delegations from both countries paves the way for further improvement and consolidation of ties between two Muslim countries. Referring to setting up joint economic commission between Iran and Pakistan, Saeedlou noted that trade visits by high-ranking delegations from both countries can be supplementary to previous cooperation. He also stressed that his visit is aimed at bolstering Tehran-Islamabad economic ties, participating in Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan second summit meeting and making preparations for the upcoming visit to Pakistan of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad./end