Iran Press/Iran news: The committee, which convened today in the Iranian capital, saw Darush Amani, the head of Iran's Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization (RMTO), and a Deputy Minister from Tajikistan come together to formalize their commitment to enhancing road and transport ties between the two nations.
Amani highlighted the Iranian government's strategic focus on bolstering relations with neighboring countries in the region. He described the MoU as not only a step towards strengthening road transport connections but also as a foundation for broader collaboration rooted in shared language, history, culture, and values.
Emphasizing Iran's pivotal position as a key link between China and Central Asia on one side and Western Asia and Europe on the other, Amani underscored the significance of Iran's southern ports in providing a secure and efficient route for Tajikistan's transportation needs.
The Tajik Deputy Transport Minister welcomed the meeting as an exceptional opportunity to tap into the substantial potential shared between the two closely intertwined nations. She highlighted Tajikistan's central location in Central Asia, noting its historical role along the Silk Road as indicative of its untapped transportation capabilities across various sectors.
During the discussions, both sides stressed the importance of leveraging international corridors such as the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran (KTAI) transport corridor, the southern segment of the East-West corridor, and the eastern section of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
Key topics addressed included transit and trade agreements, infrastructure enhancement initiatives, road service action plans, reciprocal traffic permit exchanges, official border payment fee notifications, measures to prevent informal payments, updates to traffic and residency regulations, visa facilitation, resolution of traffic issues within each country's borders, and engagement with regional bodies like the Eurasian Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Concluding the meeting, the Tajik delegation head extended an invitation to RMTO's leader to participate in the upcoming international conference "Road to Tien Shan" scheduled for May.
In a significant development last October 2022, Tajikistan marked a milestone as its first freight train transited through Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran en route to Turkey. The launch ceremony took place in Dushanbe, underscoring the growing connectivity and cooperation among these countries.
214
