Iran-Pakistan set to open Rimdan-Gabd cross-border gateway

 Iran - Pakistan border

Islamabad, Dec 15, IRNA -- Iran and Pakistan are scheduled to open Rimdan-Gabd cross-border gateway on December 19 in presence of senior officials.

The opening of the Rimdan-Gabd crossing would help accelerate economic activities in the bordering region with creating more opportunities for expanding economic and trade ties between the two countries. 

In recent years, Iranian and Pakistani officials have put on the agenda a plan to increase border crossings.

Accordingly, a countdown has begun for the opening of the new border crossing, which was officially announced during a meeting between Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, Special Assistant to the Iranian Foreign Minister, and Rahim Hayat Qureshi, Pakistan's ambassador to Tehran.

The Special Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of our country announced on his Twitter account that the Rimdan-Gabd border crossing will be inaugurated on December 19 in the presence of senior officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan.

“Two countries share only one Mirjavah border crossing at 909 km,” he noted.

The opening of the Rimdan border is one of the most important results of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's visit to Pakistan last month. During a meeting with Pakistani officials, the Iranian Foreign Minister announced that the Islamic Republic of Iran would soon open the Rimdan crossing in Sistan and Baluchestan province, and called on Pakistan to open the Gabd crossing as well.

It was also suggested that other border crossings, such as the "Pishin-Mand" between the two countries, be opened, and that the entry and exit crossings between the two countries be increased.

The official and full-capacity activity of the Rimdan-Gabd crossing has so far been widely welcomed by politicians and the business community of Pakistan, Iran's eastern neighbor.

As Mirjavah-Taftan border is the only official crossing point between Iran and Pakistan for trade and public movement, the new Rimdan crossing will reduce restrictions on Pakistani traders, especially residents of Balochistan.

Facilitating access to the Iranian market, increasing exports and imports, reducing travel time to the two countries and making better use of the capacities of the two neighboring border provinces are some of the benefits of the new Rimdan-Gabd crossing.

The Pakistani business community praises Iran's key decision to open the Rimdan border, indicating the neighboring country's desire to have close relations with Iran and seize the golden opportunity to develop bilateral trade.

In June last year the Special Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs visited Balochistan, Pakistan, to discuss the issues facing trade between the two countries, including trade activities at the land border, with Pakistani parties and Balochistan trade and business stakeholders. .

Most of the trade between Iran and Pakistan is done through the land route leading to the Mirjavah border crossing (Taftan), and in between the residents of Sistan and Baluchestan region of Iran and the province of Balochistan Pakistan.