Pakistan and Iran are advancing efforts to significantly deepen economic and connectivity cooperation, with plans to revive a major international freight train service this year as part of an ambitious push to increase bilateral trade volume to $10 billion.
The high-level economic objectives formed the backdrop of a telephonic conversation on Tuesday between Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The two diplomats reviewed the state of bilateral relations and discussed key regional developments.
According to a statement from the Foreign Office, both sides expressed satisfaction with the frequency of high-level exchanges on matters of mutual interest. They also affirmed their intention to maintain this close engagement in the future.
The two foreign ministers are expected to continue their discussions in person, as they look forward to interacting on the sidelines of the upcoming International Forum of Peace and Trust, scheduled to be held later this week in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
A central piece of the enhanced collaboration is the agreement to restart the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) freight train service. This move is aimed at bolstering regional connectivity and facilitating more efficient cross-border trade between the neighboring countries.
Islamabad and Tehran also plan to develop their shared 900-kilometre-long porous border into a corridor for enhanced transport, commerce, and energy cooperation. This initiative is part of a broader vision for regional economic integration.
The commitment to these goals was reinforced last month during an official visit to Pakistan by the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Dr Ali Ardeshir Larijani. During his visit, Dr Larijani held delegation-level talks with Pakistan’s National Security Advisor, Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, and met with the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly, and the Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.