Azerbaijan and Iran to ease customs procedures

Iran and Azerbaijan have reached an agreement on the introduction of simplified customs procedures at border crossings between the two countries, the press service of the Iranian Embassy in Baku reports, news.az reports.

The decision to continue negotiations on the use of eased procedures was taken on Wednesday at a meeting in Astara between the deputy heads of the customs administrations of Azerbaijan and Iran, Asker Abdullayev and Mohammad-Reza Naderi.

According to the latter, the new procedure, known as the single window principle, is aimed at easing commercial ties and human contacts between the two countries. It is to be applied by the parties soon.

"The customs clearance will be faster which will help intensify mutual trade turnover," Iranian Press TV quotes Naderi as saying.

He noted that the Iranian-Azerbaijani border transports various cargoes worth nearly $500m and over 1,000,000 people cross it.