BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 17. Iran and Kazakhstan have agreed to increase the number of permits for road freight transportation and extend drivers’ permitted stays, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and head of the Road and Transportation Organization, Reza Akbari, said.
According to Iran’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, Akbari made the remarks following an Iranian delegation’s visit to Kazakhstan.
He said the delegation, led by Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development, had reached an agreement with most of the countries involved to immediately establish special working groups on road freight transportation.
Akbari added that the working groups would examine each issue in detail and provide specific proposals for implementation. The parties involved in the discussions agreed to support the findings of the working groups.
He said the parties had also agreed that the working groups’ proposals would be approved by the relevant ministers and that the necessary decisions would be adopted to develop freight transportation ties between Iran and member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
“The agreements reached at the meeting of transport ministers from ECO member states can contribute to developing freight transportation links between Iran and other member countries, as well as strengthening connections with countries to the east and China,” Akbari said.
The deputy minister added that further meetings between transport ministers of ECO member states were expected to take place in the coming months. These meetings are intended to finalize decisions based on the working groups’ findings and facilitate the implementation of freight transportation agreements by the end of 2026.
The 14th meeting of transport ministers from ECO member states was held in Astana, Kazakhstan, on October 15, following preparatory discussions on October 14.
