Mohammad Ali Hoseini, the outgoing Iranian ambassador believes both Iran and Pakistan can and must exploit and enhance existing economic cooperation opportunities to avoid risks to economies.
In a speech Hoseini gave at a farewell reception for media representatives at the Embassy, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Pakistan, significant progress has been achieved in the last few years and both countries should now build upon it for mutual benefit.
Below is the speech by Ambassador Hoseini
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests and Audience,
Ladies and Gentlemen
السلام علیکم
At the onset, I would like to avail this opportunity to express my heartiest gratitude to you for attending in this event.
Choosing a specific meeting with the honorable journalists and media members, indicates the due attention to the important position and place of the media that we perceive in promoting ties, boosting cooperation, removing the misunderstandings, lifting the tensions and bridging the gaps.
We pay tribute to all the journalists that sacrificed their most loved life in engaging their career to promote justice, truth and love round the world.
Dear audience,
For a long time, the Islamic Republic of Iran has strengthened its relations with the neighbouring, brotherly and friendly country of Pakistan in line with its policy of close relationship with its neighbors, and still now, this goal is being followed up nonstop and despite the obstacles.
During my mission in the neighboring and brotherly country of Pakistan, despite the illegal and unfair sanctions against my country, and despite the restrictions that the spread of pandemics imposed on all of us, we witnessed great progress and developments in the various aspects of our relations with Pakistan including political, economic, security and trade.
In the political field, high-level political exchanges and consultations and close cooperation in regional developments, kept a reasonable pace and continued appropriately.
In the economic field, the lack of banking and financial channel, on the one hand, the all-out economic pressures against the two countries, on the other hand and also the pandemics, could have lead to an unprecedented decline and stagnation in the field of commercial and economic cooperation between the two countries. However, with the great determination and efforts made by the authorities of the two countries and the great efforts of my colleagues in the Islamic Republic of Iran embassy and back in Tehran, we were able to prevent the decline and stagnation in the volume of exchanges between the two countries, and most importantly to register the unprecedented record of two billion and two hundred million dollars ($2.2 billion) in the amount of trade volume between Iran and Pakistan.
The opening of two official border crossings after 73 years, agreement on the construction of 6 new border markets (one of which is completed and ready for operation and the other two are on the verge of completion), the completion of the first phase of the electricity transmission project to Pakistan and the increase in the amount of electricity export from 100 MW to more than 200 MW, which can be potentially increased to 500 MW, launching ITI cargo train (from Islamabad to Tehran and Istanbul), have been among the achievements made in this period of mission.
Great progress has been made in other fields of cooperation including cultural, scientific, defense and security, about which I ignore expressing due to the time constraints.
In the current situation, priority should be given to the use of existing capacities and possibilities in the economic field, tourism and mutual investment between Iran and Pakistan. The capacities of the commonalities and links in the various areas of history, civilization, language, religion, geography, culture and so on should be availed for the betterment of the life of the people and for the development of the indigenous region which is a homeland to all of us and our next generations.
In the end, I would like to express my gratitude for the dedications and supports, cooperations and contributions made to the development of the relations between the two brotherly countries of Iran and Pakistan by you all the distinguished media members.
I hope to find an opportunity to meet you again in Pakistan or Tehran or in any corner of the planet.
I wish you, your respected family, your beloved country and the honorable nation of Pakistan, peace, security, prosperity and progress.
Thank you all
Long live Iran-Pakistan friendship
