By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan’s Finance Minister Syed Naveed Qamar Thursday underlined the need for enhanced economic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Pakistan would continue to be a priority in the Iranian Government’s regional and global economic preferences,” Qamar said in a meeting with Mr. Mash’Allah Shakeri, Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan.
The Minister apprised the Iranian Ambassador of GoP’s Pre-Budget preparations and Post-Budget legislative debate in the Parliament along with other development related economic initiatives, an official statement said.
“Both the sides discussed institutional economic framework of their respective countries,” it said.
The Finance Minister stated that Pakistan was currently passing through the most challenging time since the democratic government took over and special measures are underway to reform the national economy.
Earlier Iranian Ambassador expressed that Iran and Pakistan needed to work closely on all fronts, especially in the field of economic cooperation.
Pakistan and Iran could foster their ties through working together via Joint Ministerial Commission in all fields of bilateral interest, both the sides agreed.
Iranian Ambassador, on behalf of Iranian Government, identified more than fifty areas of joint project-based cooperation focusing railways, communication, roads, shipping, trade, Infrastructure and alike.
The forthcoming visit to Iran of Pakistan’s Finance Minister was also discussed in terms of agenda and development-related prospects beneficial to both the countries.
Additional power generation and meeting Pakistan’s rising electricity demand is another sector identified for mutual cooperation.
In the end, Syed Naveed Qamar hoped that Iran and Pakistan were two brotherly Muslim countries sharing each other’s concern in all sectors of national and regional development and would continue to work for further strengthening of bilateral relations.