TEHRAN - Customs officials from Iran and Turkmenistan have agreed to enhance customs cooperation and also the volume of the trade exchanges between the two countries.

In a meeting held between Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Mohammad Rezvanifar and Chairman of State Customs Service of Turkmenistan Maksat Khudaikulyev in Tehran, the two sides emphasized expanding and broadening cooperation in various fields, Mehr News Agency reported.

In this meeting, IRICA head expressed his satisfaction with the increase in the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries and stated that Iran and Turkmenistan exchanged 1.4 million tons of products, valued at $450 million in the previous Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2023 to March 20, 2024).  

Rezvanifar pointed out that bilateral meetings between the traders and officials of the two countries will play an effective role in increasing the volume of trade between the two sides and called for setting up such meetings.

The chairman of State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, for his part, welcomed the development of trade exchanges between the two countries in the recent years, adding that the trade volume between Iran and Turkmenistan is on the upward trajectory.

Maksat Khudaikulyev called for the exchange of experiences and development of educational-training cooperation between the customs of the two countries an offer that was welcomed by the head of Iran's customs chief.

The borders of the two countries have great potentials and Turkmenistan Customs Office is ready to provide customs services at Sarakhs border crossing around the clock, he stressed.

During the meeting, the two sides decided to hold expert-level meetings between the two countries within the next month.

Last month, Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) held a seminar on the trade opportunities of Iran and Turkmenistan as the Islamic Republic is going to hold specialized agrifood exhibition in Turkmenistan.

The event was attended by senior officials including Mahmoud Bazari, director-general of TPO’s Export Coordination Office, Akbar Godari, head of the organization’s Central Asia, Caucasus and Russia office, and Gholam-Abbas Arbab Khales, the former ambassador of Iran in Turkmenistan.

Speaking at the seminar, Bazari considered Iran’s Agrofood exhibition as a major event in Turkmenistan and said: “Turkmenistan is a potential and important market for Iranian products and services. The country has a special position in the International North-South Corridor, whose capacities can be used to develop exports.”

EF/MA