TEHRAN – Iran and Afghanistan are going to develop cooperation in border markets in order to expand economic ties, Deputy Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) for Management Development Affairs Ahmad Zakeri announced.

According to Zakeri, earlier this week Iran’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Hassan Kazemi Qomi visited the markets at the border with the country in North Khorasan, South Khorasan, and Sistan-Baluchestan provinces to meet with the authorities and discuss ways for resolving the hurdles in the way of the expansion of mutual trade.

Qomi was accompanied by a delegation comprised of the representatives of the Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry, the IRICA, the Agriculture Ministry as well as the Foreign Affairs Ministry during this visit.

“The visit began on Wednesday at Dogharun special zone and markets in Khorasan Razavi, and after that, the problems and obstacles of trade on the Shamtigh railway route were also reviewed,” Zakeri explained.

Later on, the delegation traveled to the Mahiroud border crossing and visited the markets in this area on Thursday, according to the official.

The delegation also visited the Milak border in Sistan-Baluchestan Province on Friday morning and discussed problems and obstacles to the development of trade between the two countries.

At the end of the three-day visit to the border, it was decided to take coordinated decisions to determine the tasks of the authorities responsible for the development of trade, transportation, and customs relations with Afghanistan, Zakeri said.

Iran and Afghanistan resumed trade exchanges as the tensions in Kabul eased back in August.

“Considering the recent conflicts in Afghanistan, the weight of Iran-Afghanistan trade declined 15 percent, however, the latest statistics show that the trade has reached its previous levels,” the IRICA Spokesman Ruhollah Latifi said on August 21.

EF/MA