Iran seeks to boost trade to $10bn level
On arrival, he was warmly received by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
Two children presented bouquet to the visiting president, who was leading a high-level delegation.
Quetta chamber highlights obstacles to trade with Iran, Afghanistan
During his stay, Dr Masoud Pezeshkian will meet President Asif Ali Zardari and hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. These meetings will include follow up discussions on trade agreements, joint border markets and other matters which were discussed during the visit of late Ebrahim Raisi to Pakistan in April last year. It is first official visit of Dr Masoud Pezeshkian to Pakistan as President of Iran.
Elaborate security arrangements were made for the visit of Iranian delegation.
Later, President of Iran, Dr Masoud Pezeshkian accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister visited the mausoleum of Pakistan's national poet Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal. He laid a floral wreath at the mausoleum and offered 'Fateha.' He paid homage to great philosopher and Poet of the East.
On this occasion, the Khateeb of the Badshahi Mosque, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad offered special prayers for the strengthening of Pak-Iran relations, prosperity and development of Pakistan and the well-being of Muslims.
Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian recorded his impressions for Allama Iqbal's literary legacy in the visitors' book.
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, prior to departure to Pakistan, said that the trade relations between Tehran and Islamabad are strong, emphasising the plan to elevate their annual trade exchanges to $10 billion. He said that Tehran and Islamabad have enjoyed good, friendly, and deep-rooted relations since the establishment of Pakistan.
The two countries cooperate in economic, scientific, cultural, and border areas, and a deep bond exists between the people of both sides, he said.
Pezeshkian highlighted that during the recent aggression by the Israeli regime and the US against Iran's soil, Pakistan was among the countries that strongly condemned this aggression and declared its readiness to provide any necessary support for Iran's territorial integrity, as well as for the government and people of Iran.
The Iranian President identified boosting border trade with Pakistan via land, air, and sea as priorities for this trip. Through Pakistan, Iran can connect to the Silk Road linking China and Pakistan, and the route can then extend through Iran to Europe, he said.
Emphasising that security and border issues are of great importance to both Iran and Pakistan, he said that regional security must be achieved through mutual cooperation.
Pezeshkian also noted that the enemy plans to create divisions among Muslims, but Iran will thwart the enemies' plots, adding Tehran aims to maintain unity and solidarity with Islamabad.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived here on Saturday on a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening economic ties and expanding bilateral trade with Pakistan.
Pezeshkian was received at Nur Khan Air Base by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
'This important visit will pave the way for stronger Pakistan-Iran ties,' PM Sharif said in a post on X, adding that he looked forward to 'substantive engagements' with the Iranian delegation.
Earlier in the day, Pezeshkian landed in Lahore, where he was welcomed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
The visit comes amid warming relations between the two neighbours, with Islamabad recently expressing solidarity and a desire for deeper cooperation with Tehran.
The officials say that regional coordination is becoming increasingly vital amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.
During his stay, President Pezeshkian is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari and hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Sharif on Sunday.
Security has been tightened across key venues in Islamabad to safeguard the visiting delegation.
Pezeshkian is the second Iranian president to visit Pakistan in two years. His predecessor, late Ebrahim Raisi, visited in April 2024, shortly before his death in a helicopter crash.
PM Sharif and Pezeshkian previously met in Tehran in May during the Pakistani leader's regional tour to express gratitude for support during tensions with India.
Both the countries are set to sign a number of agreements aimed at bolstering the trade between the two sides, and further strengthen the economic relations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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