TEHRAN- The value of Iran’s exports to Pakistan through the border in the southeast of the country has risen 26 percent during the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-June 20), compared to the same period of time in the previous year, an Iranian provincial official announced.

Davoud Shahraki, the head of Industry, Mining, and Trade Department of Sistan-Baluchestan Province, in the southeast of Iran, put the worth of quarterly exports at $131.457 million, ILNA reported.

The official said that commodities valued at over $528 million have been exported from Sistan-Baluchestan to Pakistan in the past Iranian calendar year, and put the value of Pakistani products imported to Iran via the province at $162 million in the previous year.

Earlier this month, the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced that Iran’s three more border points with Pakistan were reopened.

“Exports and imports through the three trade borders (in Sistan-Baluchestan) with Pakistan are fully resumed,” Rouholah Latifi said on July 6.

“As of today, the three markets of Rimdan, Koohak, and Pishin in Sistan-Baluchestan Province on the Pakistani border have been completely reopened, and trade with the country has returned to normal,” the official said.

Pakistan's decision to reopen new border crossings with Iran came at a time when both sides had already reopened the Taftan (Mirjavah) border crossing seven days a week to expand border trade between the two countries.

According to Latifi, although trade borders had been reopened, the passenger sector was still facing some limitations.

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani, in a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan on May 10, had said that the opening of the border markets of the two countries would lead to the development of Tehran-Islamabad trade relations.

During a meeting with Pakistan's new ambassador to Iran Rahim Hayat Qureshi on June 24, the president called for reopening of Iran-Pakistan borders and urged the implementation of bilateral agreements.

MA/MA