Iran to help Pakistan produce coal energy

Governor of the largest province of Iran, Khorasan Razavi Dr Mahmoud Salahi said that he will present Iranian study to produce coal energy as a gift to the people of Punjab which will help the province produce electricity from water, coal, air and solar resources.
He was addressing the inaugural session of "Pakistan-Iran Investment & Trade Business Forum", jointly organised by Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) in collaboration with Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), where 60 government and private officials from Iran met with the leading CEOs and government officials from Pakistan.
Salahi also said that Iran intends to work in close collaboration with Pakistan for economic development of the region. He expressed hope that industrial exchange programme between Punjab and Khorasan would help promote trade relations between the two provinces. He extended invitation to Pakistani industrialists to take part in international investment conference to be scheduled in Khorasan next month.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer PBIT, Saadat Muzaffar said that the longstanding and historic ties between Iran and Pakistan will be translated to concrete economic ties though solidifying trade and economic opportunities between Punjab and Khorasan Razavi. He further said that this forum is an opportunity of branding both countries investment positives, which will result in multiple joint ventures, trade agreements and technology transfers between the private sector parties. He informed that trade volume between the two countries is currently about USD 1,300 million but economists say that the real potential of trade is no less than USD 1.5 billion if trade and non-trade barriers are eliminated.
President Lahore Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Shahzad Ali Malik said that trade balance between the two countries is increasing constantly which is a very satisfactory sign. He further said that Pakistani investors should benefit from the expertise of Iranian companies. He informed that Iranian Consulate is helping Pakistani business community regarding issuance of visa, which would create close relations between the industrialists of both the countries.
Minister Food Punjab Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, Chief Executive Officer PBIT Saadat Muzaffar, President LCCI Shahzad Ali Malik and Industrialists of Iran and Pakistan were also present on the occasion. The event highlighted investment and trade opportunities in Punjab to Iranian investors, where private sector delegates and government officials also discussed the most pressing projects that can be boosted though this visit.
Pakistan-Iran Business Forum was a success both in terms of effective business matchmaking with Iran-based investors and the marketing of investment projects of Punjab. In this one-day forum, Iranian and Pakistani delegates showed vast interest in the breakout sessions in agribusiness, livestock & dairy, mines & energy, infrastructure, and tourism.
The forum also allowed Iranian investors to determine the political will of Punjab Government to make investing easy and hassle-free. Through this business forum, PBIT, which is Punjab's premier investment promotion agency, provided a platform of linking the province with a vast network of progressive investors in Iran.