TEHRAN- Transit of commodities through Iran increased by 55 percent during the first two months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-May 20) compared to the same period last year, Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash said.

Transit via Iran also increased by 47 percent in the first month of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-April 19)), as compared to the preceding year, according to the data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

Based on the IRICA data, 1.6 million tons of goods were transited via the country in the mentioned month, IRNA reported.

As previously announced by IRICA, 17.79 million tons of commodities were transited through the country in the past Iranian calendar year 1402.

Transit of commodities through Iran increased by 36.52 percent during the previous year compared to the preceding year.

As stated by Transport and Urban Development Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash, the “Iran Way” initiative offered by the current Iranian government, lets the neighboring countries use Iran as a route or a solution that facilitates their access to international waters.

Iran Way initiative is the gateway to Iran's land of transit opportunities, the minister has underlined.

The policy of paying attention to neighbors and developing political and economic relations with neighboring countries in the current government, increasing attention to road and rail routes in the world, and the efforts and cooperation of transportation and trade-related organizations in establishing or activating corridors through the country has led to significant growth in transit of goods through Iran.

Iran is one of the countries with a special status in trade and transit relations due to its strategic location and special geography, as the country is the passage of several important international corridors.

Considering its geographical location, Iran can play a significant role in the transit of goods in the region and benefit a lot from its status in this due.

In early June 2023, Deputy Transport Minister Shahriar Afandizadeh announced that the Transport and Urban Development Ministry is preparing a five-year comprehensive plan for increasing transportation and transit relations with Central Asia, as well as the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman countries.

The plan includes the basic strategies and executive roadmap in a step-by-step manner for the next five years and will mark the evolution of the bilateral transport and transit relations with the target countries, including the countries of Central Asia and the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, Afandizadeh explained.

This year, the issue of transit and playing a role in major programs such as those related to China's Belt and Road Initiative, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is one of the main priorities of the Transport Ministry in developing transport relations with regional and extra-regional target countries, the official noted.

EF/