Pakistan, Iran ink MoU for opening border market places

TEHRAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Thursday the relations between Pakistan and Iran had taken a new turn in the direction of positivity and cooperation.

In a video statement issued on the conclusion of his visit to the Iranian capital, the foreign minister said the fraternal relations between the two countries had deepened.

The Iranian President (Hassan Rouhani) agreed that bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran had improved remarkably over the past two-and-a-half years, he added.

He said his meetings with President Rouhani, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Speaker of Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf focused on strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Pakistan and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for opening six market places at border areas of the two countries.

The MoU was signed by Foreign Minister Qureshi and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif on Wednesday. These six market places would be established at border points between Balochistan province of Pakistan and Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchestan.

Qureshi expressed the confidence that establishment of border markets would be beneficial for both the countries, saying it would go a long way in improving the economic condition of the residents of border areas. The proposal for opening border markets was given by Prime Minister Imran Khan in a meeting with President Rouhani during his visit to Iran in 2019.