Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7
By Temkin Jafarov - Trend:
A new special economic zone will be created in Iran's Astara in the near future, chief of Iran's Astara border checkpoint Hamid Reza Mohammadi told Trend on Aug. 7.
"A special economic zone will begin operating in Iran's Astara in the next two-three months," he added.
"Creating the Astara special economic zone on the border with Azerbaijan will create favorable conditions for the activity of Azerbaijani businessmen and investors," he added.
"This contributes to the expansion of economic relations between the countries and investments in the Iranian economy."
He said that favorable conditions were created for economic activity in Iran's Astara. The export-import operations are underway in the town's port.
"Customs officers in the port operate in three shifts," he said. "The port operates around the clock."
"Astara's port established cooperation with the ports of Baku and Aktau," he said.
"Steel and iron are mainly imported from the port of Aktau," he said. "Fittings, gypsum and cement are exported from Iran to Azerbaijan."
"The Astara border checkpoint is one of the most important among the checkpoints on the border with Azerbaijan," he said. "Some 800,000 people passed through it last year (the year begins on March 21 in Iran)."
"A number of projects are being implemented at the Astara border checkpoint for the convenience of Azerbaijani citizens," he added.
"All conditions were created for the citizens at the checkpoint," he added. "During peak days, the duration of the working day increases at the border checkpoint. During various holidays Azerbaijanis living in Iran get gifts. The booklets with instructions in the Azerbaijani and Persian languages were published. The volume of goods allowed for transportation across the border is indicated there."