Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain sees off Iranian president
Lifting of sanctions against Iran to help boost Pak Iran trade, economic ties, Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain
Pakistan’s energy security is Iran’s responsibility, Iran keen for intensified ties with Pakistan in all spheres: President Iran Rouhani
By,Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD, The President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain Saturday evening warmly saw off Iranian President Dr Hassan Rouhani here at Nur Khan Airbase after the conclusion of latter’s two-day official visit to Pakistan. The Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid and other high officials were also present on the occasion. The Iranian President visited Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, which had significance after lifting of sanctions on Iran, opening new avenues for enhancing economic interaction. Earlier the President of Iran Hassan Rouhani on expressed his country’s strong desire for intensified relations and cooperation with Pakistan in all spheres, including trade, economy, energy, education, science and technology. Addressing a press conference here at the conclusion of his two-day official visit, President Rouhani described his visit and meetings with the Pakistani leadership as very constructive and fruitful. During the meetings, he said, the two sides held wide ranging discussions for cooperation in the areas of trade, economy and energy as well as the regional and international issues of mutual interest. The President of Iran Dr Hassan Rouhani also paid rich tribute to Poet of East Allama Muhammad Iqbal. During a meeting with President Mamnoon Hussain, he said Allama Iqbal through his philosophy had rendered commendable services in philosophy, Shariah and other fields, which was a source of guidance for the whole world. President Rouhani noted with appreciation that much of Allama Iqbal’s poetry was in the Persian language, said a press release. He said that the work done by Allama Iqbal for awakening of society had no precedent in the world. President Mamnoon Hussain during his meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani here at Aiwan e Sadr. said the lifting of international economic and financial sanctions against Iran, would pave the way for greater economic, trade and business relations between Pakistan and Iran. He emphasized that all possible efforts should be made to enhance Iran Pakistan trade and economic relations and expressed the optimism that the two countries would achieve the bilateral trade target of $ 5 billion for mutual benefit. The President of Islamic Republic of Iran Dr Hassan Rouhani assured the Government of Pakistan that provision of its energy security was Iran’s responsibility besides reiterating bilateral commitment to take volume of trade to US$ 5 billion within next five years. “In the presence of distinguished Prime Minister of Pakistan, the officials, the authorities, tradesmen, entrepreneurs and delegates, I announce that Iran is responsible for provision of Pakistan’s energy security. This is our commitment in the area of electricity. Mean while the Pakistan and Iran decided to constitute a high level task force to further strengthen security cooperation between the two countries. The task force has been constituted under the supervision of the interior ministers of the two countries as a way forward to further cement relations and identify mutual areas of concerns, besides recommending measures for effective redressal of those issues, said a press release. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to work hand in hand for achieving shared objectives, and for ensuring peace and security in the region. It was agreed to enhance mutual cooperation in the area of security with greater interaction among law-enforcing agencies and intelligence sharing for effective border management, controlling trans-border crimes, including drugs trafficking and human smuggling. Earlier the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on called on visiting President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani at Islamabad. During the meeting matters related to regional security and Pakistan – Iran relations came under discussion, said an Inter Services Public Relations news release. Issues related to border security and connectivity was also discussed. Iranian President paid rich tributes to the professionalism of Pakistan Army and its phenomenal achievements in operation Zarb e Azb.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Address at PAK-IRAN Business Forum
Islamabad – March 26, 2016
Bismillah Hir Rahman Nir Raheem
Excellency President Hassan Rouhani, members of the Iranian and Pakistani cabinets. Members of the business community distinguish guest, ladies and gentlemen AssalamuAlaikum. It is with great pleasure that I welcome your Excellency PresidentRouhani and your distinguish delegation to this Pakistan-Iran joint business forum. The profound fraternal feelings that Pakistani people have for their Iranian brothers and sisters lend a special significance to your presence among us. I am confident that interaction between the eminent Iranian Business Delegation and notable Pakistani Businessmen will expand trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. Distinguish guest relations between Pakistan and Iran are rooted in deep affinities of faith, culture and history. Hafiz and Saadi are as well known in Pakistan as IqbalLahori in Iran. Ourlong standing close ties as brothers and neighbors are however not reflected economic and trade relations. It is a shared challenge, Your Excellency to transform our brotherly relations into a robust economic partnership. In the five years strategic action plan signed yesterday we have aimed it boosting our bilateral trade to the level of US Dollars five billion by 2021. With lifting of sanctions on Iran and reemergence of growth in Pakistan the target of US Dollars five billion is within our reach. More land routes for trade on our boarder, trade exhibitions, industrial and agricultural cooperation and mutual recognitionof standards will boost trade. The five years strategic plan encourages us to seek a permanent and predictable liberal relation of trade to take the fullest advantage of our potential. Ladies and gentlemen over the past three years Pakistan’s economy has emerged from the crises of extremisms and energy shortages. We have achieved macroeconomic stability and our well honor way towards vigorous and sustain growth. This is a no mean achievement considering the problems our economy facing due to the security and energy shortages which causes a loss of two percent of our GDP annually. To overcome the energy shortages we have initiated a number of power projects and over twelve thousand megawatts will be added to the national grid by 2018 and thirteen thousand additional megawatts there after InshaAllah. My Government has made regional connectivity and trade a priority area. Pakistan’s tidalskey trade routes between the countries of Western and Central Asia and those in South Asia with a high demand for energy. We have ambitious plans to generate and spread prosperity within Pakistan InshaAllah and our region through economic integration. One of the main pillars of our growth vision isconstruction of high capacity transportation corridors connecting major regional players. Our focus is not only on promoting trade with immediate neighbors but also adjoining regions of Central Asia and South Asia. Ladies and gentlemen and economically vibrant Pakistan is imperative for curbing the menace of extremism and terrorism. Despite the tremendous human and economic cause we are resolute in our fight against violence and extremism. We are convinced that the modern and progressive Pakistan envisioned by Pakistan’s founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah cannot be realized without defeating this menace decisively. Mr. President the new global order has introduced fresh external and internal challenges for the world in general and the Muslim Ummah in particular. Despite possessing nearly 70% of the world’s energy resources and representing one fourth of the global population the collective share of the Islamic Countries in the global GDP is insignificant. The need to promote economic integration and trade liberal relations among the Muslim Countries for economic growth cannot be over emphasized. As members of OIC as well as D8 Iran and Pakistan have a great opportunity to demonstrate benefits achieved through increased economic trade and technological cooperation. I would like to compliment the Ministry of Commerce for organizing today’s event. I encourage all participants from both countries to avail this opportunity to create important economic linkages and work towards our goals of shared prosperity through economic integration. Your Excellency, Pakistan and Iran are immerging simultaneously from a period of challenge and economic crises. New vistas of economic opportunity are opening before us. Let us walk together on this road and take our people towards shared peace and prosperity.
Thank you.
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His Excellency Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s Address
At Pak-Iran Business Forum
Islamabad – March 26, 2016
Mr. PM his Excellency Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to all the authorities and bodies and all the distinguish guests as well as organizers of these forum and these significant meeting I would like to appreciate you all and thank you all.
In the first I believe that it is necessary to appreciate the warm hospitality of Pakistani Nation and Govt. thank you very much for your hospitality and off course I would like to congratulate the National day of Pakistan and honorable distinguish audience. We believe that Pakistan security is Iran’s security. We believe that economic development of Pakistan is in fact the economic development of Iran as well because first of all there is relation between security and development, they are inter-related. If we are looking for security, we should look for economic development, prosperity and employment of the young generations in the countries. And secondly in the today’s globalize economy the Asia development is mostly we can see it as regional and international rather than national. So economic relation between Iran and Pakistan which can complement each other.
They pave the ground for real expansion of relations between the two countries. In the area of energy, gas, oil; Iran can have the economic development and prosperity of the Pakistani nation, in the area of technical engineering services, Iran has the capability to help the development of the economic infrastructure of Pakistan including roads, railways dams and others area, and off-course toestablish partnership with Pakistan in these areas, in the area transit, and off course in the area of tourism, we can complement each other. The economic growth and development and control of inflation in Iran and Pakistan will be satisfied for us and there is no doubt that development of infrastructure, investment and betterment of business atmosphere, and making use of and exploring mutual potential of the countries would be an element for the sustainable growth and development of each countries, sustainable growth is dependent upon the diversity of the national manufacturing resources.
The reason for the success of Islamic republic of Iran to resist against the sanction and despite the fall down of crude oil prices we could in comparison with other oil exporting countries, we received less pleasure, it was due to this diversity, this is the situation that a country can be safe against different damages and dangers, it means to increase the level of resistance, off-course the economic resistance of the country that in Iran it’s called the economy of resistance, if our income all dependent on oil, petro dollar, and the last few years, we would be enforced make use of our reserve or to accept to decrease the value of our national currency against the foreign currency, the policy of the Islamic republic of Iran is the policy is the policy of constructive interaction with the world and especially with its neighbors.
And especially with country like Pakistan which hold cultural, historical, religious, artistic commonalities with each other. We are honored because of Hafiz and Saadi and we are honored of IqbalLahori. Pakistani nation is our significance, and we are proud of that and ofcouce the influence and power of Pakistan army against terrorism, it is infect we consider as our own power and influence. Two brotherly nations, two neighborly nations. Prior to Ulamas and scientists or policy makers of these two nations, the tradesmen of the countries have made closer the relations between the two countries. Today of course, the economic relations between the two countries, and expansion of economic relations between the two countries can be a major element for the regional stability and security. It would be a crucial element for more unity. It would be major element for the stability of the region. Not only should we work for prosperity and welfare of our nation and for our region, and of course we should work for the regional security and for political and cultural interactions. We need further closer economic relations and specially investment, joint investment, bilateral investment, multilateral investments. We should promote easiness in the lines and official borders of two countries at the same time we should provide more security. Of course we should increase our official relations and banking relations between the two countries. We should provide the situation for free trade between the two countries.
In this place and in the position, in the presence of the distinguished Prime Minster of Pakistan, the official authorities, tradesmen,entrepreneurs, and delegations, I announce that Iran would be responsible for the provision of Pakistan’s energy security. Based on our commitments in the area of electricity, based on our commitment in the area of gas – we have fulfilled our responsibility and will fulfill in the future. I can tell you that somehow gas has been transferred to the Pakistani borders and of course we are ready to expend and develop these cooperation. Pakistani nation should be assured that Iran as a strategic partner for the Pakistani nation – will always explore its potential in the field of oil and gas to satisfy the needs of Pakistani nation.
We voice our readiness to promote the volume of trade from the one billion USD to five billion USD in the next coming years. And of course this is possible by the tradesmen, entrepreneurs and state sector of the two countries. They should cooperate in order to realize that Iran after its nuclear agreement and in the post sanctions era – is an emerging economy and would its role in the area. Beside cooperation with the eastern world, with international countries and the global countries, attaches greater importance in its neighbors including and specially Pakistan.
Our cultural condition states, our regional conditions requires us to have better economic relations and to promote it as for as possible and specially the private secytor of the two countries, they should be encouraged in the area of trade, investment and the academic sector should also be supported for further cooperation in science, knowledge, technology. They should be supported and encouraged. Our defense and security sectors should cooperate with each other for further security of the borders and the region.
Today, for me and the Iranian delegation, it is memorable and significant day and we will have it mind because we were hosted by the great Muslim friendly nation of Pakistan.
Thank you very much for your attention.
