PESHAWAR: Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Honardoost on Monday said that trade and commerce ties between Iran and Pakistan could make economies of both the countries robust.
Speaking at the meeting with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI) at the Chamber House, Honardoost asked the business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to play its role in promoting trade between the two countries.
He said that both Tehran Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) and KPCCI should jointly work to strengthen trade ties between Pakistan and Iran. The Iranian envoy said that business-to-business contacts would help establish robust economies of the two countries.
He said that Iran attached great importance to its ties with Pakistan to achieve the goal of increasing mutual trade for which the role of business communities of the both the countries was also of paramount importance.
Honardoost welcomed the offer of the KPCCI president that the Iranian investors should invest in the hydropower generation sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.He assured the business community of the province of taking steps to facilitate the traders in getting multiple visas.
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, KPCCI president, Zulfiqar Ali Khan stressed the need to remove the hurdles to promote trade with the neighbouring Muslim country.
He said a potential of $10 billion mutual trade existed between Iran and Pakistan, while Iranian investors could also benefit from the hydel potential and other trade and investment opportunities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The KPCCI chief said the exchange of trade delegations should be facilitated by the governments of the two important countries of the region to promote formal and informal trade. He said that vast trade opportunities existed in textile, rice, wheat, meat, fruits, vegetables and other sectors, which could be explored.
Zulfiqar Ali Khan said the traders and business communities could bring both the countries closer, if they were facilitated.
The KPCCI executive committee members, Sharafat Ali Mubarak, vice-president Imad Rasheed Abdul Hakeem Shinwari, Abdul Jalil Jan, Sadiq Amin, and were among those present on the occasion.
Earlier, Mehdi Honardoost also visited the regional office of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
MEETING WITH GOVERNOR: The ambassador also called on Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra at the Governor’s House.
Mehdi Honardoost, who was also accompanied by the Peshawar-based Consul General of Iran, Muhammad Baqir Beigi, remained with the governor for some time.
They discussed matters of mutual interests. The governor welcomed the guests and highlighted the importance of various prospects for further promotion of the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Iran.