Minister Calls for Launching Pakistan-Iran Sea Route

Pakistani Minister of Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi in a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Mehdi Honardoust in Pakistan's capital on Saturday underlined the need for establishing a route via sea with Iran in a bid to increase trade exchanges between the two countries.

"Pakistan is eager to establish passenger shipping line between the ports of Iran and Pakistan to expand bilateral trade ties," Haider Zaidi said during the meeting in Islamabad today.

The Pakistan minister, meantime, voiced his country's willingness to boost trade exchanges with Iran.

Haider Zaidi also voiced his confidence that the passenger shipping service will be launched before his tenure as minister ends.

The Iranian ambassador, for his part, underlined the immense potential of cooperation between Gwadar port of Pakistan and Chabahar port of Iran.

Honardoust said that the two ports can help strengthen bilateral economic and trade cooperation between Iran and Pakistan.

He called for implementation of MoUs signed between the two countries to enhance cooperation between Chabahar and Gwadar ports.

Earlier this year, Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi and the then Pakistani Minister for Ports and Shipping Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo had agreed on starting ferry service from Pakistani port city of Karachi to the Iranian port city of Chabahar.

source: FARS NEWS AGENCY