TEHRAN,— Iran and Pakistan have agreed to operate their existing active border crossings around the clock and plan to open a new crossing at Kuhak, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said.
Momeni made the remarks after meeting Pakistan’s Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi in Tehran. The two ministers discussed steps to strengthen bilateral cooperation, border management and trade.
Border Crossings to Operate 24 Hours
Momeni said the two countries have reached agreements to keep the existing active crossings open 24 hours a day.
He added that another crossing could open at Kuhak once the required infrastructure is ready.
The move aims to improve cross-border movement and support higher trade volumes between the neighboring countries. Iranian officials have set a short- and medium-term goal of increasing bilateral trade from $3 billion to $10 billion.
New Kuhak Crossing Planned
Kuhak is located in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province near Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
Momeni said the new crossing would be added after the necessary infrastructure is completed. He also discussed plans to improve transport links and reduce delays at the border.
In addition, Iran wants to coordinate railway infrastructure with Pakistan. The aim is to reduce the need to unload goods from trains and transfer them to trucks at the border.
Iran and Pakistan Seek Higher Trade
Momeni described relations between Iran and Pakistan as strategic and broad.
He said officials from both countries are working to expand cooperation across several sectors. According to him, some agreements reached during earlier talks in Pakistan have already been implemented.
The $10 billion trade target remains a key short- and medium-term objective for both sides.
Naqvi Invites Momeni to Pakistan
During the Tehran meeting, Naqvi said Pakistan was committed to expanding cooperation with Iran.
He also invited Momeni to visit Pakistan. The Iranian interior minister is expected to attend an upcoming meeting of interior ministers from Economic Cooperation Organization member states in Pakistan, according to the Iranian report.
The latest talks build on earlier Pakistan-Iran efforts to improve border cooperation, trade and regional security. Both countries have also discussed counterterrorism, illegal immigration, human trafficking and drug smuggling.
