TEHRAN – Iran and Uzbekistan have reached an agreement on the implementation of a comprehensive roadmap for developing transportation ties in all fields, IRNA reported.

The roadmap was discussed and agreed upon on Sunday in a meeting between Iran's Minister of Transport and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash and a high-ranking Uzbek delegation led by Bakhtiyor Saidov, Uzbekistan’s acting foreign affairs minister.

The meeting was also attended by Ilhom Mahkamov, the minister of transport of Uzbekistan.

Speaking at the meeting, Bazrpash considered the transit sector as one of the important and strategic axes of cooperation between the two countries and said: "The cooperation opportunity and potentials between Iran and Uzbekistan in transportation and transit sectors is ready, and Iran is prepared to enhances ties in this field."

"The draft of the comprehensive transportation cooperation roadmap has been prepared and there are high potentials for Uzbekistan's participation and cooperation in Iran’s southern and northern ports as well as the North-South corridor", added the Iranian minister.

Referring to the possibility of the maritime economy prosperity in the southern ports of Iran, Bazrpash noted that Uzbekistan's request to become a member of the Chabahar Agreement has been accepted.

Bakhtiyor Saidov, for his part, referred to the implementation of important agreements between the two countries since last year and added that the main focus of economic relations between Iran and Uzbekistan is transportation and logistics.

"Considering the facilities and interest of the two countries, the volume of cargo transportation between Iran and Uzbekistan can increase significantly", Saidov added.

Other issues raised in this meeting were the compilation of the designing of a roadmap in the field of passenger transport between the two countries, as well as the implementation of an agreement reached between the two sides in 1993 with some changes and amendments.

The facilitation of road and rail transportation by reducing tariffs and facilitating the conditions for the passage of drivers between the two countries was also discussed in the meeting.

In order to achieve better and faster results, it was decided that the two countries introduce plenipotentiary representatives to discuss the details of the negotiated topics.

ICCIMA calls for joint investment committee with Uzbekistan

In another meeting on Sunday, Head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Gholam-Hossein Shafeie held talks with his Uzbek counterpart Vakhabov Davron Abdujalolovich, during which he called for establishing a joint investment committee between the private sectors of the two countries.

“The joint investment committee of the two chambers, if formed, can conduct detailed studies on the suitable areas for investment and partnership in the two countries and provide the results to the businessmen and the private sectors of the two sides for new cooperation,” Shafeie explained.

Referring to the establishment of an Iran-Uzbekistan joint chamber of commerce in Iran, he continued: “I hope that a corresponding joint chamber will also be formed in Uzbekistan. Because it can have a tangible effect on the development of business relations between the two sides.”

Emphasizing that one of the main problems in the development of economic relations between Iran and Uzbekistan is transportation issues, especially rail transportation, the ICCIMA head added: "Unfortunately, third countries play a role in this and create problems in the way of sending goods to Uzbekistan."

He further made some suggestions for increasing the level of commercial exchanges between the two countries and stated: “Providing some facilities, including bank guarantees for issuing technical and engineering services, which is one of the good fields of cooperation, can have an effect on increasing our economic exchanges.”

The chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan for his part welcomed Shafeie’s remarks and suggestions and stated that by activating all the potentials of both sides, the volume of trade relations between the two countries can be multiplied.

“I am confident that with the efforts of the chambers of the two countries, we can increase the volume of trade between Iran and Uzbekistan by 20 to 30 percent this year,” he added.

EF/MA

Photo: Iranian and Uzbek officials discuss implementation of a comprehensive roadmap for developing transportation ties