Staff Reporter
Karachi
Consul General of Iran Ahmad Mohammadi has said that there is a huge potential to enhance bilateral trade and economic relations between Iran and Pakistan in a variety of subjects but there are also some difficulties hindering smooth trade between the two brotherly countries that need to be addressed, of which the lack of proper banking channel remains at the top.
Speaking at a meeting during his visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), the Iranian Consul General, while acknowledging the official trade volume highlighted by President KCCI, said that all these trade figures were correct but the actual trade volume was much higher as a lot of indirect trade was going on between the two countries because of lack of banking channel.
“We, at the Iranian Consulate, are very serious towards resolving all the issues so that the bilateral trade and economic relations could be strengthened”, he added. General Secretary Businessmen Group AQ Khalil, President KCCI Agha Shahab Ahmed Khan, Senior Vice President Arshad Islam, Vice President Shahid Ismail and KCCI Managing Committee Members along with Commercial Attaché Mehmood Haji Yousufi Pour and Commercial Counsellor Amir Mehdi Amir Jaffary attended the meeting.
Iranian Consul General further stated that one of the most important action for increasing the existing bilateral trade was business communities’ participation in numerous exhibitions being staged either in Iran or Pakistan.
“Almost two-and-a-half years ago, we staged Iran’s Solo Trade Exhibition here in Karachi which was very successful, bringing the business communities closer to each other. More such exhibitions must take place either in Karachi or in Tehran or any other city of Iran that would surely pave way for much improved trade ties”, he added.
Referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visits to Iran particularly his meeting with the Iranian President, Ahmad Mohammadi stated that both leaders have expressed their intention to further improve trade and economic ties between the two brotherly countries hence, the trade volume was likely to increase in the days to come.
He informed that the Iranian Consulate will be receiving two separate delegations in near future from Iran Chamber of Commerce which will be attending an event in Karachi being organized by Islamic Chamber of Commerce & Industry while another delegation from Tehran Chamber of Commerce will also be here to attend the Build Asia Exhibition.
“We are trying to receive more delegations from Tehran Chamber so that they could hold negotiations with their Pakistani brothers to seek ways and means of how to improve bilateral relations.”
