Islamabad, Nov 11 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Shoukat Aziz has called for expansion of trilateral trade cooperation between Pakistan, Iran and Turkey.
In a meeting with the Iranian and Turkish ambassadors to Islamabad, Mashallah Shakeri and Ingen Soeyal, respectively, Shoukat Aziz said, “Expansion of ties between the three important countries of the region is very important.”
The aim of Saturday’s meeting was to consider existing obstacles in the way of trade and investment development between the three countries, founder members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the IRNA news agency reported.
Referring to the existing potentials for trilateral cooperation, Aziz said, “Iran, Pakistan and Turkey can be suitable partners for each other, especially in the field of energy.”
The prime minister stressed that the ties between Islamabad and Tehran “are based upon faith, belief, joint history and culture. Expansion of cooperation in the fields of trade and investment can further strengthen the bilateral ties.”
Aziz underlined Iran’s right to use peaceful nuclear energy, and added that employing force by a number of countries to deprive Iran of its right is not acceptable and the only solution for this dispute is negotiations.
Iran’s ambassador Mashallah Shakeri underscored Iran’s interest in expanding ties with Pakistan, especially in the field of transportation.
Referring to the existing problems in Pakistan’s economic infrastructures, the ambassador said, “Rebuilding infrastructures in Pakistan, especially in the sector of transportation, can lead to increasing economic exchanges.”
Shakeri expressed Iran’s readiness to participate in transportation projects, especially in construction of railroads in Pakistan.