‘Iran pivotal for transit of goods between China, Europe’

Seyyed Kamal Hadianfar who attended the event this week at the official invitation of the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan, while emphasizing the importance of China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey to Europe, explained the geographical advantages of his own country for transportation within the framework of the North-South and East-West corridors.

He said that with more than 14,000 kilometers of railways and 250,000 kilometers of roads, the conclusion of the Chabahar contract with India in order to equip the container and general goods terminals of the Shahid Beheshti Port makes Iran important, especially in terms of international transportation corridor.

In his speech, the Iranian minister also discussed Iran's role in the development of transportation in landlocked regional countries.

Hadianfar pointed to the 59% growth in transit that reached 14.5 million tons last year and said the volume will increase as Iran is providing facilities to landlocked countries in the region, especially Central Asia, to access international water.

He said that signing MOUs with some countries, including Tajikistan, to benefit them from the logistics capacities of Chabahar port, and starting negotiations with other countries, are on Iran's agenda.

The "Road to Tian Shan" summit aims to promote collaboration and cooperation in the Tian Shan region which spans across multiple countries including China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. The summit focuses on economic development, infrastructure, and cultural exchange.

This year’s summit was held on 29-30 May with the presence of representatives from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, India and representatives of a number of international organizations such as Trasica and Shanghai.