Pakistan says Iran’s inclusion in CPEC in region’s interest

According to Pakistan’s state media, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a statement on Friday said Iran’s inclusion in CPEC is highly significant.

He further stated the presence of Iran in advancing the peace process in Afghanistan will benefit all countries in the region.

The remarks by the Pakistani Foreign Minister coincided with a recent statement by the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan that the Islamic Republic of Iran was ready to host talks between Afghans.

Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Pakistan Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini has said that Tehran is ready to participate in the CPEC.

The construction and development of the port of Gwadar in the south of Pakistan’s Balochistan province near Iran border plays a key role in achieving the goals of this great economic project in Pakistan.

During his tenth visit to Pakistan in May last year, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made proposals for connecting the ports of Chabahar and Gwadar.

The initial value of CPEC was $ 46 billion, which has now grown to $62 billion. This plan, which is in fact a regional communication network, can expand the connections between the countries of the region.

According to CPEC website, the project aims to promote transport, information technology, interconnected networks, including roads, railways, ports and air communication channels, data and fiber optics, energy cooperation, industrial development, poverty eradication, tourism and public relations.

The CPEC became partially operational on November 13, 2016, when a Chinese shipment was transported through the port of Gwadar to Africa and West Asia. The rest of the projects of CPEC started in 2017.

The construction of rail and road transport network from Chinese border to the port of Gwadar is one of the most important projects of the CPEC. The development of Pakistan’s Gwadar port is also part of the major plan.