Pak, Iranian Border Provinces Form Committees to Boost Cooperation
Reza Neknidaf, the deputy governor of Sistan-Balochestan told IRNA in an interview that these included a committee on agriculture, committee on infrastructure, committee on trade and border markets and committee on energy.
These committees will comprise experts from both the countries who will explore avenues of further enhancing bilateral cooperation in their respective fields.
"During our discussions with the authorities of Pakistani Baluchistan, we looked into ways of forging practical cooperation to promote bilateral trade of goods and discourage cross border smuggling," Neknidaf said.
"We insisted that establishment of border markets will go a long way in discouraging smuggling and increasing legal trade between Pakistan and Iran," he further said.
He added, "Presently there are border markets in Iran's Mirjaveh, Pishin and Kohak Saran towns while on the Pakistani side such markets are present in Taftan, Radreg and Panjgor towns."
He said that the Pakistani officials agreed with their proposals and both sides prepared a memorandum of understanding which will be signed after endorsement by Pakistan's federal government.
Asked about supply of electricity from Iran to Pakistan, he said the proposal to this effect has been under consideration from several years ago but the two sides have not yet evolved consensus on the price of this electricity.
Pakistan, several years back, asked Iran to provide electricity to its Baluchistan Province but the project could not materialize due to the issue of price of electricity.
"We have, in this visit, offered the minimum possible price for Iranian electricity, which will be considered by Pakistan's federal government," he added.
"The Pakistani side also took interest in taking benefit from Iran's agriculture technology and we offered to extend necessary technical and training cooperation in the field of agriculture to them," the deputy governor of Sistan-Balochestan said.
During its week-long visit, the Iranian delegation, besides holding talks with the officials of Pakistani Baluchistan, also visited Gwadar and Makran ports of Pakistan.
(IRNA)