Central Asia-Iranian prov. trade up 40%

Mashhad, IRNA – The trade and transit of commodities between the Central Asian countries and Iranian northeastern province of Razavi Khorasan have increased by 40 percent as a result of positive steps taken by the Raisi administration. Iranian Ambassador to Turkmenistan Gholam-Abbas Arabab-Khales told IRNA that official statistics indicate that trade exchanges between Iran and Turkmenistan, which stood at 227 million dollars in 2021 boosted to 233 million dollars only in the first six months of the current year, showing significant growth. The ambassador expressed hope that the volume of trade exchanges between Turkmenistan and Iran is expected to double by the end of 2022 due to the active economic diplomacy of the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi. Reza Sahragard, the deputy head of the transit organization of Razavi Khorasan Province, told IRNA that international trade from Sarakhs and Lotfabad crossings in the joint border with Turkmenistan, as well as Taibad crossing in the joint border with Afghanistan, hiked in the first half of the current year by 37 and 49 percent in terms of export and import respectively. In the mentioned period, the percentages of export and import from Lotfabad crossing increased by 134 and 90 percent respectively, he added. Ahmad Zamanian Yazdi, chairman of the trade union of international transit companies of Razavi Khorasan Province, said that as a result of coordination between Turkmenistan and Iran, it is expected that the omission of distance charges from Iranian truck drivers can help Iranians have a better presence in road transit operation. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish