TEHRAN (Tehran Times) — Iran has sent two transit cargoes from Shahid Rajaei Port in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas to Uzbekistan through a newly established Iran-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan corridor under a pilot operation to assess the mentioned route, an official with the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced.

According to IRICA Director of Transit Bureau Mostafa Ayati, following the successful launch of Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran (KTAI) in late July, this time two trucks loaded with transit goods from Shahid Rajaei Port headed for Uzbekistan by passing through Dogharoon border crossing with Afghanistan.

According to Ayati, as a short and low-cost route to Central Asian countries under the TIR Convention, the development of transit corridors through Afghanistan is supported by both international bodies and the Iranian government and IRICA, in collaboration with Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) are determined to develop this sector. “The pilot opening of this corridor indicates that Afghanistan is seriously determined to develop transit in its territory and connect Central Asian countries to the southern waters, including the ports along the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman (Chabahar)”, he noted.