TEHRAN The Khosravi Border Terminal, the biggest land terminal in the country, was inaugurated by the roads and transportation minister on Tuesday.

At the inauguration ceremony, which was attended by Kermanshah Province officials, Roads and Transportation Minister Ahmad Khorram said that the transportation system and border terminals can show tourists the social, economic and political conditions of Iran.

The Khosravi Border Terminal was built by the Transportation and Terminals Organization in two years at a cost of 62 billion rials.

The minister said the Khosravi Border Terminal is situated on the route of the Silk Road and connects pilgrimage routes from Central Asia, Pakistan and India to Iraq.

The minister expressed hope that with the opening of this border terminal and the building of a railway network in the western part of the country, Iran will be able to extend its transportation system to the Mediterranean Sea. Khorram said that the transportation system and tourism are closely connected, so, hopefully, this border terminal will greatly contribute to tourism in this part of the country.

Due to the location of pilgrimage sites in Iraq, every year hundreds of thousands of Muslims from Iran and neighboring countries will visit Iraq through the Khosravi Border Terminal.

Since Iran is the shortest and safest route, many passengers from Central Asia, the Caucasus, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and even Turkey will visit Iraq through Iran and then travel to Saudi Arabia and Syria.

It is hoped that tourists on their way to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and North Africa will stop in Iran.