Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 1
By Temkin Jafarov - Trend:
Azerbaijan and Iran are negotiating the construction of a new bridge at the Aslanduz (Parsabad) - Horadiz (Fizuli district) border checkpoint, the head of the Iranian Customs Service Masoud Karbasian, who is on a three-day visit to Baku, told Trend Sept. 30.
"It is necessary to create favorable conditions not only for passengers, but also for trucks at the Aslanduz - Horadiz checkpoint to develop the trade relations between the two countries," he said.
"Azerbaijan and Iran are interested in creating favorable conditions for passengers, cars and trucks to cross the Aslanduz - Horadiz checkpoint," he said. "The distance from Baku to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic [in blockade] will be reduced by 120 kilometers due to the activity of this border checkpoint."
Currently, trucks and cars move through the Bilasuvar and Julfa checkpoints to enter the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through Iran. The distance from Baku to Bilasuvar is 153 kilometers, while up to Julfa (Iran) - 356 kilometers.
Karbasian said currently, passengers use a causeway to pass through the Aslanduz-Horadiz border checkpoint however, the construction of a new bridge may promote the development of trade relations between the two countries.
"I'm confident that the negotiations on the construction of a new bridge will have positive results. The customs services of Azerbaijan and Iran have held talks on this issue, however, the two sides should reach agreements on various issues with other structures of the two countries as well," he said.
Parsabad is located in the north of Iran's Ardabil province. The length of the sea and land border of Iran and Azerbaijan is nearly 100 kilometers there.
There are six border checkpoints on the Iranian-Azerbaijani border and five of them are in operation (Julfa, Shakhtakhty, Astara, Bilasuvar and Imishli), while the Horadiz customs point hasn't been operating for many years.
Edited by CN
