TEHRAN - Iran and Pakistan are exploring joint agricultural ventures and transport corridor integration as part of efforts to boost bilateral trade, including plans for cross-border rice cultivation and connecting Pakistan’s China-backed economic corridor to Iran, a senior Iranian official said during a visit to Islamabad.

Reza Masrour, Secretary of Iranian Free Trade, Industrial and Special Economic Zones High Council, proposed several initiatives in a meeting with Pakistani Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, held on the sidelines of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s official trip to Pakistan.

Among the key proposals were joint paddy farming in Pakistan and processing the rice in Iran’s Chabahar Free Zone, as a way to address Iran’s severe water shortages while expanding agricultural cooperation.

Masrour also called for multi-entry business visas, the establishment of a joint free zone, and linking the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through Iran to Russia and Europe via the International North–South Transit Corridor (INSTC).

“These ideas reflect our neighborhood-focused policy, and the potential to unlock joint production and significantly expand trade,” Masrour said, emphasizing the shared cultural and historical ties between the two countries.

Pakistan’s commerce minister welcomed the proposals and said their implementation could substantially boost the current trade volume, which he estimated at around $3.0 billion.

EF/MA