ISLAMABAD: Iran’s Deputy Minister of Transport Mehran Ghorbani and Deputy Minister of Interior for Economic Affairs Mehdi Dousti met Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani on Wednesday to discuss matters of mutual interest.
The two sides discussed economic cooperation, trade and connectivity during the meeting.
Secretary Commerce, member customs operations at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), secretary of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), special secretary petroleum, the deputy governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and officials from the ministries of Communications and Railways also attended the meeting.
Separately, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni met Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi in Islamabad earlier today.
During the meeting, the Iranian minister reaffirmed commitment to further expanding cooperation with Pakistan in the fields of railways, trade, border connectivity, security and economic development, according to Radio Pakistan.
The two leaders discussed in detail ways to enhance bilateral railway cooperation, cross-border connectivity, regional integration, trade, and economic collaboration.
Hanif Abbasi highlighted that Main Line-3 (ML-3) serves as the principal railway corridor connecting Pakistan with Iran.
He said work on the upgradation of ML-3 is expected to commence during the current fiscal year, with the project likely to be completed by December 2029.
Upon completion, the project will significantly improve train speeds, line capacity and operational efficiency, while facilitating greater trade and regional connectivity between Pakistan, Iran and neighbouring countries.
