TEHRAN – Kyrgyzstan is keen on using Iran’s southern ports for transiting commodities, the Kyrgyz Ambassador to Tehran Avazbek Abdrazakov said.

Abdrazakov made the remarks in a meeting with Managing Director of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) Mohammad Rastad on Tuesday.

In the meeting, the ambassador noted that due to the closure of the border between China and Kyrgyzstan, the transit of goods through the southern ports of Iran to the Sarakhs-Kyrgyzstan border in the northeastern Iranian province of Khorasan Razavi is of considerable importance and it is hoped that this capacity can be used.

Rastad for his part said Iran is ready to promote its ports, maritime, and training capacities in order to develop mutual cooperation with Kyrgyzstan.

“Thanks to the active presence of operators and suitable equipment in the north and south of Iran, it will be possible to present services with the highest quality and the least cost,” Rastad said.

Referring to the development of the strategic port of Chabahar and the launch of the Zahedan-Chabahar railway project in the southeastern Sistan-Balouchestan province, the official said Chabahar has a great capacity to transit goods to Central Asian countries (CIS) including Kyrgyzstan.

Touching upon the 2016 Chabahar agreement between Iran, India, and Afghanistan, Rastad said this MOU does not mean that the agreement is limited to the three countries, other states can also join it to make use of its capacities.

Chabahar, as Iran's only oceanic port, plays an important role in developing the country’s trade, transit, exports, and imports.

Back in July 2020, Iran officially launched the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran (KTAI) corridor by sending two cargoes from Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas to Kyrgyzstan.

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Director of Transit Bureau Mostafa Ayati, the KTAI Corridor was established as a short and alternative route for sending goods from Iran's southern ports to Central Asian countries.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the most economical route for the transit of goods to CIS due to shorter access to open waters.

EF/MA