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Iran intends to develop cooperation with Uzbekistan

Business Materials 3 July 2010 11:19 (UTC +04:00)

Uzbekistan, Tashkent, July 3 / Trend D.Azizov /

Iranian Roads and Transport Minister Hamid Behbehani and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade Eler Ganiev have mulled issues of bilateral cooperation in the field of road, rail and air transport.

The sides discussed the issues that may contribute to further intensification of cargo transportation, including in the framework of international transport corridor "East-West and North-South", transit goods, especially on the Uzbekistan - Turkmenistan - Iran route, as well as the possible revision of the tariff policy in the direction of optimization.

The Iranian side is interested in increase of the volume of transit traffic by road transport, as well as the intensification of air travel.

Currently, the Iranian airline companies carry out  one flight a week to Tashkent. The Iranian side is ready to increase the number of flights to Uzbekistan to two per week in the near future.

According to the Uzbek ministry's data, development of transport infrastructure is the foundation of the whole complex of economic and trade relations between the two countries. The Tejan-Sarakhs-Mashhad railway connecting the railway system of Central Asia and Iran was comiioned in 1996 and its branch Bafq -Bandar Abbas, which reduced the distance between Tashkent and Bandar Abbas - Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf - at 800 km, was commissioned in 2006.

Implementation of the tripartite Uzbek-Afghan-Iranian agreement on international road transport and the establishment of trans-Afghan corridor Termez-Mazar-e-Sharif - Herat leading to the Iranian communications systems to the ports of Bandar Abbas and Chabahar in the Persian Gulf remain priority in the context of the development of transport infrastructure.

The Uzbek Foreign Ministry reported that the Uzbek-Iranian relations are based on principles of mutually beneficial cooperation. Dialogues and consultations in the sphere of interstate relations have acquired a permanent character. Three meetings at the highest level have been held since 2000. The interaction between the ministries and departments of the two countries consistently develops.

Iran has consistently ranks among the top 10 economic partners of Uzbekistan. The trade turnover between the two countries grew by one percent - up to 572.7 million dollars in 2009 and by 79.7 percent to $151.3 million in January - March 2010. There are about 200 joint Uzbek-Iranian business in Uzbekistan.

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