TEHRAN – A Pakistani official said on Friday they would negotiate with relevant Iranian officials next month over establishing a sea route between Gwadar and the Iranian port of Chabahar.

“We will also talk about shipping ties and joint sea rescue operations in the area,” Hasan Zaidi, Joint Secretary for Pakistan’s Ports and Shipping Ministry, told the local Geo TV. “This is expected to reduce illegal trade through the borders of Iran and Pakistan,” he added, noting that both sides aim to boost legal trade. An informed Iranian official had earlier told IRNA that some 1-2 million liters of gasoline is smuggled to Pakistan every day. The smugglers receive banana, tangerine, and mango from Pakistanis instead, the official had claimed. The official value of trade between Iran and Pakistan now surpasses 400 million dollars.

Annual seafood production in Golestan to hit 71,000 tons

GORGAN, Golestan Prov. – The annual seafood production in this northeastern Iranian province is projected to reach 71,705 tons during the Fourth Development Plan (2005-10).

Seafood production in Golestan totaled 11,100 tons in 2005, according to the head of the provincial fisheries department. “This year, the number will hit 12,000 tons,” Jafari stated. Some 17.65 million tons of sturgeon fingerlings were propagated in fish farms in this province since the beginning of the current Iranian year (started March 21).

NICOC to increase gas production to 310m cu. m.

TEHRAN – The National Iranian Central Oilfields Company (NICOC) will increase gas production from its fields from 265 million cubic meters to 310 million cubic meters.

This includes the operation in Shanol, Varavi, Tang-e Bijar, and Homa, all in the southern province of Fars, the oil ministry’s news agency Shana reported. However, development plans on all these fields is expected to start in the fall as a new refinery comes on stream in the region.

Iran-Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce to be set up soon

TEHRAN – A Kazakh trade official said on Thursday that the Iran-Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce will soon be established in Tehran.

Speaking on the sidelines of the eighth meeting of the Chambers of Commerce of Caspian Sea Littoral States, which was held in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province, from May 2-4, Tatyana Zhdanova noted that Iran has always been a reliable trade partner for Kazakhstan.

“We now enjoy a 260-million-dollar trade with Iran,” Ms. Zhdanova added, hoping that the number ‘will increase fivefold upon establishment of a joint chamber of commerce. Kazakhstan imports Iranian dried fruits, agricultural machinery, and auto spare parts, she said, pointing to wheat and sugar as main commodities they export to Iran.

Natural Resources to develop Gilan’s ecotourism industry

RASHT, Gilan Prov. – Gilan can host thousands of tourists every year in its countless tourist attraction sites.

The Natural Resources Office of Gilan Province has planned to build 14 forest parks across the province in order to develop the local ecotourism industry. The project is to be funded by private investors. However, few of them have dared to put their money into this apparently lucrative business since there are still some ambiguities in terms of forest parks management contracts. The government has pledged to cede management and protection of all forest parks to the private sector.