January 13, 2007	Saturday	Zilhaj 22, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 12: Pakistan and Iran have agreed to enhance cooperation in the health sector. This was decided in a meeting held between Federal Minister for Health Mohammad Nasir Khan and his Iranian counterpart Dr Kamran B. Lankarania leading a 12-member delegation, here on Friday.

Secretary Health Syed Anwar Mehmood, Director-General Health Maj-Gen (retired) Dr Shahida Malik and other officials were also present.

Nasir Khan said Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with Iran and wanted to broaden these in the health sector as well. There are great opportunities for cooperation which still require further utilisation, he added.

The Iranian minister said his current visit to Pakistan aimed at exploring the prospects and possibilities of enhancing cooperation in the health sector.

Concluding the meeting, the two sides signed a joint declaration identifying areas in which the two countries would cooperate.

The priority areas were primary health care, research, training, pharmaceutical, biomedical and surgical equipment and vaccine manufacturing.

Enhanced cooperation in the fields of primary health care, disease surveillance, prevention and control programmes, maternal and child health, injuries and chronic diseases were also emphasised.

The two sides also agreed to encourage collaboration and cooperation between public health and training institutions on the basis of mutually agreed upon short and long-term programmes.

They decided to encourage joint research and participation in activities related to the priority areas of the health sector and encourage investment especially in the field of pharmaceutical, biomedical and surgical equipments and vaccine production.

Each country will appoint one representative to have continuous contact with his counterpart, in order to follow up and ensure implementation of the activities agreed upon.

AMIN AHMED FROM PINDI ADDS: Iranian Embassy’s Head of Economy and Commercial Section Mohsen Pakparvar heading a nine- member delegation held a meeting with the members of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Friday.

Welcoming the Iranian team, RCCI President Sarosh Akram said vast potential existed for the expansion of trade relations between the two countries.

Pakistan is ready to export to Iran pharmaceuticals, surgical and sports goods as well as Basmati rice and other products. Increase in Pakistani exports would help balance the bilateral trade, he said.

Reciprocating the RCCI president’s feelings, the Iranian delegation expressed the desire to boost bilateral trade.

Mr Pakparvar said the two countries sharing borders held great potential for boosting trade relations.

Later, Sarosh Akram told Dawn that the Rawalpindi chamber would send a trade delegation to Iran in April this year, and in return Iranian entrepreneurs would participate in an international industrial exhibition scheduled for May in Islamabad.

The meeting was followed by delegation’s visit to a pharmaceutical companies near Sihala Industrial Estate.

Presently, the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries is in favour of Iran. Pakistan imports include crude oil, petro-chemical, dry fruits, steel and aluminium and iron ore, while exports Basmati rice, fruits, processed steel, textiles and garments, yarn, surgical and sports goods.

Iran is also interested to import potato from Pakistan.

Informed sources told Dawn that Iran had expressed its interest to import 400,000 tons of Basmati rice from Pakistan.

A joint Pakistan-Iran trade committee is expected to meet in Tehran next month. Date for the meeting was being set through diplomatic channels.

Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan will lead the Pakistan delegation, and it is expected that an agreement would be signed for the supply of Basmati rice to Iran.

The export of Kino and mango to Iran has been blocked by the quarantine requirement imposed by Tehran. Pakistan is a big exporter of Kino and the issue is likely to be raised at the trade committee meeting.

There are no such quarantine conditions imposed even by the European countries on the import of fruits from Pakistan.

Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Iran has jumped from $141.7 million in 1999-2000 to $638 million in 2005-06. Exports from Pakistan have increased from $24 million in 2000-01 to $188 million in 2005-06, registering an eight folds increase during this period.