TEHRAN - Iran’s Minister of Transport and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami inaugurated a new border bridge between Iran and Turkmenistan in Sarakhs northeast Iran via video conference on Monday, ILNA reported.

The Turkmen Minister of Construction and Architecture Rahim Gandymov, as well as local governors of Iran’s Khorasan Razavi Province and Turkmenistan’s Ahal Region also watched on as the land bridge was opened to connect namesake cities of Sarakhs on the two sides of the border.

Speaking in the opening ceremony, Eslami said the bridge would play a key role in boosting trade between Tehran and Ashgabat while it would also help Iran expand its economic ties with countries in the Central Asia region.

“I am sure that we can benefit from this [bridge] to strengthen the [two sides’] economies, trade, and commerce and open up new horizons for development,” he stressed.

The implementation of this project comes as Iran is developing relations with the members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) under the framework of the body’s infrastructure and development plans, and also following the Ashgabat transit agreement, as well as the agreement between the Caspian littoral states.

This bridge is the second joint border development project between the two countries of Iran and Turkmenistan which has been constructed with the aim of expanding and developing transit as well as increasing road transport.

The opening of the Sarakhs Bridge comes as Iran and Turkmenistan have yet to fully open their borders after more than three months of closure over the new coronavirus pandemic.

Iran has erected disinfection installations at the border, including several 20-meter-long tunnels, to ensure shipments passing through the frontier are free of any virus.

According to Eslami, the complete installation of disinfection equipment in the border points is an indication of Iran and Turkmenistan’s efforts and determination for reopening borders and resuming trade in the region.

EF/MA