QUETTA: Iranian Consul General in Quetta Hassan Darwesh has said that without help and cooperation of the industrialists and business people of both countries, the target of trade between Pakistan and Iran cannot be achieved.

During a meeting with a delegation of local businessmen, headed by vice president of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry Badaruddin, here on Tuesday, the Iranian envoy said that the traders and business people of Iran were ready to extend help and cooperation for the achievement of the bilateral trade target.

Mr Badaruddin said that Balochistan’s industrialists and business people had always been interested in doing business with different countries, particularly Iran and Afghanistan.

He said that they realised the importance of strengthening of trade relations with the neighboring countries and periodic communication with their business people, industrialists and government officials.

For Pakistan to achieve trade goals with Iran, he said, it was necessary to promote bilateral trade on the pattern the Iran-Turkey trade.

He underlined the need for promotion of legal trade and said that it would bring prosperity in both the countries and help improve living standards of the people of Iran and Pakistan.

The Iranian consul general said that he would be happy to arrange meetings between delegations of the chambers of commerce and industry of Iran and Pakistan.

“We hope that trade relations between the two Islamic neighbours will be further strengthened,” Mr Darwesh said and added that the Iranian government was ready to extend help and cooperation in this regard.

Former caretaker chief minister of Balochistan Allauddin Marri was prominent among those who attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2020