TEHRAN- A specialized meeting between the Head of Iran's Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization and the Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia was held at the Ministry of Economy in Yerevan, focusing on facilitating trade and transit and reducing international transportation barriers between the two countries.

According to IRNA from the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization, during this meeting, the Head of the organization, referring to Iran's strategic position in the North-South and East-West international corridors, emphasized the need for the full activation of transit and logistics capacities on both sides.

Reza Akbari stated: The Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the region's main transit routes, has always welcomed the development of transportation cooperation with its neighbors, and Armenia, due to its special geographical location and cultural and historical ties, is considered a key partner on these routes.

The Deputy Minister of Economy of Armenia, while appreciating the active presence of the Iranian delegation and the accompaniment of the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran and diplomatic representatives, announced that his country is determined to remove road transportation barriers and reduce transit costs.

Emphasizing that Armenia is seeking mechanisms to make the movement of transport fleets between the two countries smoother and more economical, he added: Adjusting border tolls and coordinating customs procedures are among our main priorities.

The Deputy Minister of Economy of Armenia added: The presence of senior customs and transit officials from both sides in this meeting demonstrates a serious determination to implement the agreements.

In this meeting, five main axes were discussed and exchanged with an operational approach and the active participation of the Iranian and Armenian delegation members.

The two sides agreed on reducing border tolls, deciding to form a joint working group under the direct supervision of customs managers to review the cost structure of crossing shared borders and plan for their gradual reduction.

The expansion of truck and cargo fleet traffic was also placed on the agenda, and it was decided that, in addition to increasing the traffic quota, smart systems for reserving crossing times and controlling traffic at the borders should be launched to prevent the formation of long queues.

Activating transit and logistics capacities was another important axis of this meeting, based on which both sides emphasized the full utilization of logistics terminals on both sides of the border and the creation of joint centers with private sector cooperation.

Also, the development of border crossing infrastructure and access routes, including improving roads leading to common border crossings and examining the construction of a new bridge at the zero border point, was prioritized in the joint commission.

Reducing international transportation barriers was also raised as another axis, and in this regard, eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic formalities, standardizing transit permit documents, and coordinating the implementation of international transport conventions were welcomed by both sides.

The Director General of the Organizational Commercialization Office of the Road Maintenance Organization emphasized the need to facilitate trade procedures and coordinate with relevant bodies.

The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Armenia, while welcoming the positive atmosphere of the negotiations, emphasized full support for implementing these agreements within the framework of economic diplomacy.

At the end of this meeting, both sides emphasized their determination to become regional transit hubs and make maximum use of the communication corridors between Asia and Europe, and it was decided that the next meeting would be held as soon as possible to finalize the executive details of the agreements.

EF/MA