Iran and Pakistan are expected to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) within the next six months, says a senior Pakistani government official, amid efforts by the two neighbors to boost their bilateral trade.
Pakistan’s Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar said on Thursday that Pakistan and Iran will in the next few months give a final shape to an FTA that aims to promote the value of bilateral trade between the two neighbors to up to $4 billion per year.
Iran and Pakistan are currently on a preferential trade arrangement under which the two countries have sought to reduce some trade barriers and tariffs.
Qamar was quoted as saying by the Associated Press of Pakistan that Islamabad and Tehran will, in the meantime, exchange trade lists for various sectors of their economies while trying to further reduce tariffs on exports and imports to reach a reasonable framework for signing an FTA.
The minister made the comments while attending the 21st Session of Pak-Iran Joint Economic Commission (JEC) in Islamabad where Iran’s Minister for Roads and Urban Development Rostam Ghasemi was also attending.
Qassemi leads a senior delegation of Iranian government officials and business representatives during his trip to Pakistan.
The minister said on Wednesday that the decision by Iran and Pakistan to hold the JEC meeting after a five-year hiatus showed the two countries were determined to boost their economic ties.
The APP said Iran and Pakistan signed four major cooperation documents during the JEC meeting in Islamabad on Thursday. The agreements will cover cooperation between the two countries on maritime issues as well as on media, tourism and ties between their national museums.
PressTV
The prices of some life-saving medicines have soared to levels that are unaffordable for ordinary people in Venezuela as the United States has ramped up military presence in the Caribbean off Venezuela's coast, alongside escalating sanctions, blockades and military threats against the oil-rich South American nation since late August.
https://www.presstv.ir/default/Embeded/761400
At a northeastern suburb in the capital city Caracas, locals can still purchase most of the commonly used medicines at a major supermarket, where some antibiotics have been sold out, and some first-aid medicines and supplies have become too costly for ordinary residents.
"I'm here mainly to buy antibiotics. I have problems with my lungs. But I can't get all I want, such as vancomycin," said a resident named Alfonso.
"Recent tensions have affected the supplies and prices of drugs. The prices of cancer drugs, insulin drugs and albumin are very high, and most patients here cannot afford them," said Giovanna Gonzalez a ...
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is prepared to use military force to achieve the goals of its special military operation if Ukraine continues to delay peace talks.
During an inspection of a Russian armed forces command post on Saturday, Putin stressed that Moscow will not allow Kiev’s obstruction to prevent progress.
“If the Kiev authorities do not want to resolve the matter peacefully, we will accomplish all the tasks before us in the course of the special military operation by military means,” he said.
The Russian leader noted that the Ukrainian authorities are not moving toward a peaceful resolution, adding, “We see that even today, unfortunately, the leaders of the Kiev regime are in no hurry to resolve this conflict peacefully. I spoke about this a year ago in a speech at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Putin also received reports from Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and commanders of Russia’s “Centre” and “East” military groups.
Meanwhile, ...
