TEHRAN- Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad met with Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Pakistan's Minister of the Interior, at the headquarters of the Oil Ministry to discuss the development of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector and the expansion of commercial and economic relations, Shana reported.

During this meeting, the two sides, considering the capacities and common areas of cooperation, especially in the energy sector, emphasized the development of trade and economic exchanges between Iran and Pakistan.

The Oil Minister, stressing the expansion of cooperation between the two countries, said: Economic, commercial, cultural relations, and various areas of cooperation over many years between Iran and Pakistan provide a good foundation for expanding interactions in diverse fields, particularly in the energy sector.

Paknejad stated: There are various areas between the two countries in the trade of oil and petroleum products, as well as the export of technical and engineering services, especially in the refining sector.

Meanwhile, Masoud Pezeshkian, the President, on his trip to Pakistan on June 22, had announced Iran's readiness to develop relations with Islamic countries, especially Pakistan, in all fields, and emphasized that Tehran-Islamabad relations must be further strengthened in practice and implementation, and the effects of this approach should be evident in future memoranda and agreements.

Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan's Prime Minister, also referring to the economic capacities of both sides, had stated: Previously, a target of 10 billion dollars for the volume of trade between Iran and Pakistan had been proposed, but today we believe we should set our sights on achieving an annual figure of 30 billion dollars.

Oil minister announces: Formation of specialized working groups between Iran and Pakistan

The Oil Minister, during his meeting with Pakistan's Minister of the Interior, announced the formation of specialized working groups between Iran and Pakistan with the aim of following up on major agreements in the field of energy carrier exchanges.

Mohsen Paknejad, outlining the main topics of this meeting, said: In this session, issues of mutual interest to the two countries in the energy sector were discussed, and it was decided that expert working groups would be formed to follow up and finalize the matters raised.

Referring to the long land border between Iran and Pakistan, he stated: This border can be utilized as one of the important advantages in the field of energy carrier exchanges. The frameworks and preliminaries of this matter of interest to both countries had already been discussed previously.

Paknejad continued: According to the agreement, it is planned that for continuing the discussions, expert working groups will travel from Iran to Islamabad and from Pakistan to Tehran.

Referring to the mutual needs of the two countries, he said: Our friends in Pakistan need petroleum products, and in this regard, there is the possibility of exports from Iran; therefore, in sectors where there is export capacity, we will meet their needs.

The Oil Minister emphasized: In some sectors, considering territorial advantages and geographical frameworks, we can also benefit from these opportunities.

Paknejad, regarding gas cooperation between the two countries, recalled: In previous periods, the issue of the gas export pipeline from Iran to Pakistan had been raised; in this meeting, general topics were discussed, and it was decided that more detailed expert discussions in this regard would be pursued by working groups.

MA