The Iranian minister of roads and transport, Hamid Behbehani, discussed bilateral cooperation with Uzbekistan in the traffic, rail and air transport sectors with Uzbek vice-premier, and minister of external economic relations, investment and trade, Eler Ganiyev, Trend reports.
The sides discussed issues of intensifying freight, including the 'East-West' and 'North-South' international transport corridors, transit freight, mainly concerning the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran route, and the issue of pricing policy. Iran is interested in increasing the amount of transit freight and air freight.
An Iranian air company makes only 1 flight to Tashkent per week. Iran is ready to make 2 flights per week.
According to the Uzbek Ministry of External Economic Relations, Investment and Trade, the development of transport infrastructure is one of the basics of trade-economic ties between the two countries. In 1996 they launched the 'Tedjen-
Serakhs-Meshhed' railroad connecting Central Asian countries and Iran. In 2006 the 'Bafk-Bandar-Abbas' branchline allowed to reduce the distance between Tashkent and Bandar-Abbas — an Iranian port on the Persian Gulf — by 800 km.
Realisation of the trilateral agreement between Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran on international car freight and construction of a Trans-Afghanistan corridor along the 'Termez-Mazari-Sharif-Gerat' route, to join Iranian communication systems with the ports of Bandar-Abbas and Chakhbakhar in the Persian Gulf, has been made a priority.
In 2000 the countries held 3 summits. Iran is one of the ten leading economic partners of Uzbekistan. Trade turnover between the two countries in 2009 rose by 1%, up to $572.7 million, in January-March this year it grew by 79.7%, up $151.3 million. Uzbekistan has approximately 200 joint enterprises with Iran.
