Tajikistan and Iran have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on international freight transportation and transit through the Iranian port of "Chabahar," the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan announced.
The memorandum was signed by the Minister of Transport of Tajikistan, Azim Ibrohim, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Hosein Amir Abdollahian, following the negotiations between Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon and Iran's President Ibrahim Raisi in Dushanbe.
According to the document, the parties have agreed to take the following measures:
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Simplification and coordination of procedures to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of transport routes crossing the "Chabahar" port in terms of time and transit costs, as well as mutual reduction of duties and fees on road transport.
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Attracting cargo from other countries to routes crossing the "Chabahar" port to facilitate access to regional and global markets through maritime, railway, and road transport.
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Cooperation on mutual investments in promoting transport infrastructure projects along routes passing through the "Chabahar" port.
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Ensuring the safety of passenger transport, vehicle movement, cargo storage, and environmental protection in accordance with international standards.
To achieve the goals of the Memorandum, the parties are establishing a Steering Committee consisting of officially designated members responsible for coordinating and monitoring activities to ensure and support all institutional, human, and material-technical resources. The parties also decided to conduct continuous monitoring and research in the relevant areas of implementing the Memorandum, explaining its provisions to promote mutual opportunities.
As President Emomali Rahmon stated in his speech at the Tajikistan-Iran Entrepreneurship Forum, improving road transport along the "Tajikistan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran" route, effectively utilizing the potential of the "Chabahar" port, and easing the conditions for the entry and transit of goods will contribute to expanding economic cooperation opportunities between Tajikistan and Iran.
"Chabahar" is the largest port in Iran, located in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan on the coast of the Gulf of Oman. Its strategic significance lies in its direct access to the Indian Ocean.
Currently, 16 countries in Asia have access to the Indian Ocean: India, Bangladesh, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Myanmar, Malaysia, Oman, UAE, Pakistan, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
November 10, 2023