Tariq Sayeed, Chairman Pak-Iran Business Council and Vice President of the Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce & Industry (CACCI) has fervidly hailed Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan for his bold statement that ties with Iran will not be undermined by pressure of any kind. He described it as the right to for building amicable and profound relationship with the neighbouring countries.
In a press statement, Sayeed, former president of FPCCI and founder & former president of Saarc-CCI said that the business community of Pakistan strongly endorses the view of the president. He observed that this decision will not only give boost to the morale of the country but also help overcome shortage of energy through faster implementation of Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline Project, which has become indispensable for sustainable economic growth.
He further said, "Projects like Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline are crucial for forging deep alliances between the two countries". By taking such a bold initiative, president Zardari has given a clear-cut message to the world that as a sovereign nation the government has the courage to take unbiased and realistic measures, which should be respected by other nations.
Sayeed also appreciated leadership of both countries for setting the target of bilateral trade to the tune of $5.0 billion, stating it as a positive reflection of the policy of the government under the leadership of Zardari. He termed it an important step to further improve bilateral relations with neighbouring countries.
He also appreciated the outcome of Trilateral Summit held in Pakistan, which has adopted 20-item agenda for ensuring peace, security and economic development of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan regarding it as exposition of determination of its leaders, which was drastically required for strategic alliance.
Chairman Pak-Iran Business Council further said that Iran Chamber of Commerce & Industry & Mines is an important organisation, which has been playing a very important role towards improving the economic relations of Iran in particular with the member nations of ECO, CACCI, D-8 and OIC. He added that the business community of Pakistan and Iran had similar thoughts on economic issues and enjoys mutual trust and support on economic issues under the umbrella of such international organisations. He said the Iranian Chamber enjoys the patronage of Government of Iran and advised Government of Pakistan to give full representation to the private sector of Pakistan on the policy-making level to achieve the envisaged trade targets set by Pakistan with various countries including Iran.-PR