Iran and Pakistan are in talks to deepen economic cooperation through joint agricultural projects and enhanced transport connectivity, with a focus on linking Pakistan’s CPEC with Iran’s trade routes, a senior Iranian official revealed during a high-level visit to Islamabad.
Reza Masrour, Secretary of Iran’s Free Trade, Industrial and Special Economic Zones High Council, presented a series of proposals during a meeting with Pakistani Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan. The meeting was held alongside the official visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Pakistan.
One of the key ideas put forward was cross-border agricultural collaboration, particularly paddy cultivation in Pakistan, with rice to be processed in Iran’s Chabahar Free Zone. The plan aims to address Iran’s critical water shortage while fostering agro-industrial synergy between the two nations.
Masrour also proposed granting multi-entry business visas, setting up a joint free trade zone, and integrating Pakistan’s China-backed CPEC with the International North–South Transit Corridor (INSTC). This would enable a direct trade route from Pakistan through Iran to Russia and Europe, boosting regional connectivity.
“These initiatives reflect Iran’s neighborhood-centric economic strategy and the vast potential for joint production and expanded trade,” Masrour said, citing the longstanding cultural and historical ties between the two countries as a foundation for deeper economic collaboration.
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan welcomed the proposals, noting that such initiatives could significantly increase the current bilateral trade volume, estimated at $3 billion.
The talks signal a strategic push by both countries to unlock new trade routes and economic opportunities through regional cooperation and integration.
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