Iranian Ambassador to Tajikistan Mohammad Taghi Saberi says Iran is a good transit point for further movement of Tajik goods.
In a statement released at conference of representatives of Tajik and Iranian business communities sin Dushanbe, Ambassador Saberi noted on December 23 that Iran has many sea trade ports and Tajik goods could be shipped to other countries through these ports.
“A strong trade bridge that has been created in Iranian-Tajik relations contributes to creation of favorable climate for Iranian investors and expansion of business contacts between the two countries,” Iranian diplomat said.
Recall, the issue of arranging transit of Tajikistan’s export goods through Chabahar Port located in southeastern Iran was discussed at a meeting of Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that took place in Tehran on June 2.
In the course of the talks, Tajik foreign minister asked for cooperation in Iran's southeastern Chabahar Port as a great trade zone for international cooperation.
The Iranian president, for his part, reportedly said that Chabahar Port can be the best and safest route for transit of Tajik goods.
Co-chaired by Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Usmonali Usmonzoda and Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian, the 13th meeting of Tajikistan-Iran Joint Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation took place in Tehran in early December this year. Tajikistan and Iran reportedly agree to use national currencies for bilateral trade.
Iranian media reports say Reza Ardakanian noted on December 3 after his meeting with his Tajik counterpart Usmonali Usmonzoda in Tehran that economic and energy cooperation between Iran and Tajikistan is growing like never before.
Meanwhile, according to data from the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, the bilateral trade between Tajikistan and Iran has decreased almost three times over the past five years: from US$295 million in 2013 to US$97 million in 2018.
Over the first eleven months of this year, the two-way trade between Tajikistan and Iran has amounted to only US$58 million, which is 35 percent lower than in the same period last year.
