SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan: The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar held separate meetings with the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Vepa Hajiyev on the sidelines of the 4th Meeting of the Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan in Samarkand on Thursday.
In her meeting with the Iranian foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen Pakistan-Iran fraternal ties in all areas of mutual interest, particularly trade and economy, energy, security and regional connectivity.
MoS @HinaRKhar met FM @AmirAbdollihain of Iran on sidelines of Neighbours of Afg meeting in Samarkand. They reaffirmed firm commitment to strengthen bil. ties especially in trade & energy. The two Ministers hoped that Polan-Gabd project would serve as a harbinger of greater coop. pic.twitter.com/ESPxtYO2Ml
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) April 13, 2023
The two ministers agreed that there was vast scope in bilateral trade and economic cooperation and agreed to identify the new sectors through various institutional mechanisms.
They expressed satisfaction over completion of Polan-Gabd/Gwadar electricity transmission line that will cater to the energy needs of the border region of the two countries.
The Minister of State underscored the importance of expedited operationalization of border markets to uplift the socio-economic well-being of people of the border region.
The Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and the Minister of State reaffirmed commitment to remain closely engaged on matters of regional and global significance including Afghanistan.
In another meeting between Hina Rabbani Khar and the Turkmen Deputy Foreign Minister Vepa Hajiyev, the two dignitaries reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and expressed their satisfaction over the level of engagement.
MoS @HinaRKhar met Turkmen Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vepa Hajiyev on sidelines of Meeting of Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan. They agreed that enhanced bilateral trade & investment will enhance reg. connectivity & prosperity and reiterated commitment to TAPI Gas Pipeline. pic.twitter.com/EFYIi0oOWr
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) April 13, 2023
They also discussed measures to enhance connectivity, trade and investment, energy cooperation and people-to-people contacts.
They also reiterated their commitment towards the importance and early implementation TAPI Gas Pipeline Project.
