Tehran, March 12 (MRUD NEWS)—Iran and Uzbekistan agreed to develop transit relations and facilitate transport ties. The agreement was reached during the meeting of Uzbekistan delegation with Iran Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Mehrdad Bazrpash, in Tehran on March 12 for compiling and implementing comprehensive plan for development of transport cooperation in all modes of transport and also implementation of the Ashgabat Agreement.
In the meeting with Bakhtiyar Saidov, Uzbekistan acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the Uzbek delegation and Ilkhom Makhkamov, Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan, Bazrpash considered transit as one of the important and strategic area for cooperation between the two countries.
The opportunity for Iran and Uzbekistan's cooperation in multimodal transport and development of transit is provided, the Iranian Minister further said.
Bazrpash also informed of preparing draft of comprehensive plan for development of transport cooperation between the two countries which is now prepared and will provide huge potentials for participation of Uzbekistan in the southern and northern ports of Iran and also along the Internatioonal North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
Referring to the potentials of the maritime economy in the southern ports of Iran, Bazrpash said Uzbekistan's request to join the Chabahar Agreement has been accepted.
Bakhtiyar Saidov, head of the Uzbek delegation, while expressing his satisfaction over holding this meeting, pointed to the implementation of important agreements between the two countries since last year and added that transport and logistics are the main fields for economic ties between Iran and Uzbekistan. He further mentioned that freight transit between Iran and Uzbekistan can increase significantly.
Moreover, developing a detailed road map in the field of freight and passenger transport in all modes of transport between the two countries, implementation of the 1993 agreement with some changes and amendments were among the issues raised in this meeting.
In the meeting, facilitation of road and rail transportation by reducing tariffs and facilitating drivers transit between the two countries were also discussed and it was decided to introduce a plenipotentiary representative from the two countries in order to follow up the details.
Last week, Iran deputy transport minister, Shahriyar Afandizadeh, hosted the head of the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Council of Road Workers of the CIS countries, Buri Karimov, to confer on international transport and transit. In the meeting, Afandizadeh announced Iran's readiness to transit one million tons freight from Central Asia and also attracting investments to the southern ports of Iran.