This was observed at a joint virtual meeting between the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (TCCIMA), and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Wednesday.
Senior diplomats of the two countries and business experts participated in the meeting with an aim to examine the capacity of the two countries to increase the bilateral trade volume to $ 5 billion.
Rahim Hayat Qureshi, Pakistan's Ambassador to Iran, and Ahmad Mohammadi, Iranian Consul General in Karachi also took part in the virtual meeting.
The TCCIMA Head Masoud Khansari who hosted the meeting recalled his successful trip to Karachi last year and meeting with Pakistani businessmen to set up a joint committee between Tehran Chamber of Commerce and the Pakistani Embassy in Iran to discuss trade challenges.
He added the high tariffs and the lack of banking relations between the two countries are the two important challenges in promoting trade relations between Iran and Pakistan.
Pointing to the positive impact of the opening of the Rimdan-Gabd border, he said it would connect Chabahar port to the Pakistani ports of Gwadar and Karachi which would strengthen the bilateral trade ties.
The Pakistani Ambassador to Iran in his views expressed hope that with the increase of interactions and cooperation between the two chambers, the volume of trade between Iran and Pakistan could reach to $ 3 billion in coming years and ultimately touch the figure of $ 5 billion.
Rahim Hayat Qureshi, who recently visited the port of Chabahar, pointed to the proper development of the port and said that the opening of the Rimdan border would pave the way for trade development and reduce transportation costs between the two countries, which could facilitate communication between Chabahar and Gwadar.
The Pakistani ambassador announced the establishment of a joint economic commission between the two countries in the near future and announced that the challenges faced by the two countries' businessmen will be examined in this commission.
Ahmad Mohammadi, Consul General of Iran in Karachi, while pointing to the priority of economic diplomacy in Iranian missions abroad, also discussed ways to enhance Iran-Pakistan cooperation in petrochemicals, building materials, food, energy and export of technical and engineering services to traders.
He further announced the readiness of Iranian Consulate General in Karachi to provide any assistance and support to increase trade and economic relations between Iran and Pakistan.
In his speech at the meeting, the Vice President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry called for the use of the Rial-rupee payment mechanism in trade between the two countries.
He also proposed setting up of industrial estates along the two countries' borders to promote trade cooperation and technology transfer.
The Vice President of Zahedan Chamber of Commerce also presented a report on the performance of the Iran-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and pointed to the important capacities of the two countries to increase trade volume.
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