TEHRAN – Uzbekistan has proposed to establish a logistics center in Iran’s southeastern Chabahar port in order to increase the transit of its commodities through Iran, the portal of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) reported.

The proposal was made during a meeting of PMO Head Ali-Akbar Safaei with an Uzbek trade delegation comprised of the country’s deputy minister of investments and foreign trade, deputy transport minister, and ambassador to Iran as well as other senior officials on Sunday in Tehran.

During this meeting, Safaei expressed the Iranian government’s willingness to connect Uzbekistan to the free waters and also Tehran's readiness to welcome Uzbek companies’ investment in the northern and southern ports of the country.

He stressed that the conditions and infrastructure is prepared for the development of trade cooperation with Uzbekistan, especially in the field of transit, saying: “One of Iran's economic approaches for the development of foreign trade is to establish a route to transit goods from western China using Uzbekistan’s railway network and maritime transportation through the Caspian Sea.”

The official noted that Iran is also ready to develop a transit route for Uzbekistan through the southern Arab neighbors including Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirate (UAE), and India.

Safaei further mentioned Afghanistan's interest in developing trade cooperation with neighboring countries through the port of Chabahar and said: “Currently, every 10 days, a container ship carrying transit goods arrives from India to Chabahar port, and we plan to add other countries to this route.”

He stated that Chabahar port with a capacity of 12 million tons is fully prepared for providing the necessary infrastructure for loading and unloading of various cargoes, adding: “The Uzbek government can make good use of the existing capacities in the hinterland of Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar to add value and establish a large trade gateway to Iran’s neighboring countries.”

EF/MA