ISLAMABAD, SETP 9 (DNA) -Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoust has said his country has the capability to help the development of the economy of Pakistan through energy supply and construction of roads, railways dams and others area.

He said that bilateral trade will get unprecedented boost after resolution of problems regarding banking which would disappear soon.

He said while talking to President FPCCI Abdul Rauf Alam, VP FPCCI Zafar Bakhtwari, former presidents ICCI Khalid Jaweed, Ijaz Abbasi, Chairman Coordination FPCCI Malik Sohail and others were also present on the occasion.

Mehdi Honardoust said that Iran is interested to participate in the CPEC which is one of the greatest project in the history of the region. Pakistani textiles, rice, surgical goods, sports goods and agricultural products are in great demand in Iran, he informed.

He claimed that Iranian gas is the cheapest, fastest and most dependable source of energy for Pakistan which should be initiated soon as Iran has completed its part of the pipeline by spending two billion dollars.

Many countries including China, India, Turkey, Japan and South Korea continued to buy energy from Iran during and after sanctions, he added

Speaking at the occasion, President FPCCI Abdul Rauf Alam said that Pakistan and Iran has already decided to increase annual trade volumes between the two countries to $5 billion by 2021 for which efforts are needed.

He said that Pakistan can increase electricity imports from Iran for which Tehran must reduce the price to make it competitive and attractive.

He said that Pakistan can increase electricity imports from Iran and the brotherly country is ready to fulfil our requirements of electricity and natural gas for which Tehran must reduce the price.

“Additional land routes for trade on our border, trade exhibitions, industrial and agricultural cooperation and mutual recognition of standards will boost trade,” said President FPCCI.

Rauf Alam said that Gwadar and Chabahar Ports are not rivals but they would supplement each other making the region centre of maritime trade.=DNA