Three-day visit of Iranian Consul General Hassan Darvishvand to Gwadar

• 28 Feb 2023

Quetta: Iranian Consul General Hassan Darvishvand, appointed in the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Quetta, visited Gwadar for three days from February 24 to 26. During his visit, Consul General met separately with Chairman of Gwadar Port Authority Pasand Khan Balochi, Director General of Gwadar Development Authority Majidur Rahman Qamberani, Deputy Commissioner of Gwadar Azat Nazeer Baloch, Additional Collector Customs Gwadar Shahid Ali Abbasi, and President of Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry Shams-ul-Haq Kalmati at their respective offices. During the meetings, the Consul General was briefed by the high officials about various development projects and the Gwadar Master Plan, and he highlighted the project of providing 100 megawatts of electricity to Gwadar by Iran, considering it a manifestation of the excellent friendship and cooperation between both countries. He also emphasized on official visits and exchange of delegations between the authorities of Chabahar and Gwadar ports.

Consul General Hassan Darvishvand stated that both countries have the capacity to fulfill each other's needs. Iran is ready to cooperate extensively with Pakistan in the field of energy. He stressed on increasing the trade volume to $5 billion and said that both countries have so many capabilities and opportunities within them that a target of $5 billion annual trade is quite low. Promoting mutual cooperation between Chabahar and Gwadar ports can enhance the capabilities of both countries and become a catalyst for significant economic development and prosperity in the region. Moreover, connecting both ports through various means can facilitate their linkage to Eastern China, Central Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, and several Gulf countries via road and railway networks. Exploiting poverty and deprivation, our common enemies, terrorists, and malicious elements, attempt to hinder the path of brotherly relations between us, and they never want us to get closer. He expressed satisfaction with the exchange of official delegations between Chabahar and Gwadar ports and stated that our mutual relations should be a role model for the world.

At the end of his visit, Consul General Darvishvand conducted a detailed tour of the Gwadar-Rimadan border with the Tajiks, customs officials, and other authorities. He visited the Border Market (Bazaar), the FA office, the Customs Office, and the Border Gate, and had separate meetings with Pakistani and Iranian authorities at the border. During this time, the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry informed the Tajiks about various issues faced by traders at the Gwadar-Rimadan border, and the Consul General emphasized on identifying hurdles in trade and finding solutions, while thoroughly assessing the issues. He assured that all means and resources would be employed to resolve these issues and further promote trade. Additionally, facilitation would be provided for the movement of tourists, pilgrims, and residents in the border areas.