Iran-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan transit corridor operational

According to IRICA Director of Transit Bureau Mostafa Ayati, following the recent successful opening of the KTAI corridor and the shipment of goods from Shahid Rajaee customs in south Iran to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on 5 August, two transit cargoes from this customs left Dogarun border customs for Afghanistan and then to Uzbekistan on Monday.

"The development of transit corridors through Afghanistan as a short and low-cost route to Central Asian countries has been done via TIR system and with the cooperation of the International Road Transport Union (IRU), and Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), IRICA, and Iran Chamber of Commerce," he said.

"With the pilot opening of this corridor, it seems that Afghanistan is seriously determined to develop transit in its territory and connect Central Asian countries to southern waters, including the ports of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman (Chabahar)," he added.

"The new Iran-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan corridor, as a new short and low-cost route, can play an effective role in developing trade and regional cooperation, and will lead to stable peace and security in Afghanistan," Ayati said.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is the most economical route for the transit of goods from Central Asian countries due to short access to open waters," the official said, "The development of new routes, including the Iran-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan corridor, will end in the improvement of faster transportation of cargoes and reduction of costs."

"In fact, this route, along with the Turkmenistan route, helps to promote transportation, transit, and trade in the Ecoregion," he added.

Back in late July, Iran sent two cargoes from Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas to Kyrgyzstan through Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran (KTAI) corridor.

As Ayati informed at the time, the KTAI Corridor is established as a shortcut for transitting goods from Iran's southern ports to Central Asian countries including Afghanistan and Tajikistan.