TEHRAN- Speaking with the Pakistani media, Asad Umar, Pakistan’s Minister of Finance, Revenue, and Economic Affairs, put emphasis on the necessity of strengthening trade ties with Iran.

The official also underlined that the two countries can double their bilateral trade, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

The value of trade between Iran and Pakistan currently stands at $1.5 billion which could be increased through some operating programs, Umar commented.

“There are many investment making opportunities in different sectors of Pakistan and we welcome any investor that is willing to make investment in our country”, the Pakistani minister noted.

In his meeting with Iran’s Ambassador to Islamabad Mehdi Honardoost in September, Umar called for removal of existing trade and commerce barriers and reinforcing mutual transactions and trade meetings as well.

Honardoost, for his part, underlined the necessity of tackling banking and customs barriers besides easing trade ties.

Iran and Pakistan discussed expansion of trade ties during a joint business forum in Islamabad on March attended by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif heading a 30-member trade delegation and Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

As reported, creating necessary conditions for the expansion of bilateral economic ties and facilitating trade, especially between the two sides' private sectors were among the main topics of the forum.

MA/MA