Tehran, Ashgabat Resume Railway Trade after 100 Days

Iran and Turkmenistan resumed trade exchanges via railroad through Inche Borun border in Golestan province late on Tuesday after100 days of hiatus due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

With the resumption of rail exchanges between the two countries, 30 cement-loaded wagons entered Turkmenistan while observing health protocols, in order to supply the product to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and to Turkmenistan itself, Director of the provincial Railways Company Mehdi Abdol-Karimzadeh said on Tuesday.

He continued that upon stopping the trade exchanges between Iran and Turkmenistan, especially through railways, 131 wagons carrying cement, hardware, ceramic tiles, plastic materials, toys, ore and glass have been waiting at the Incheh Borun railway station, he said.

These wagons will gradually leave for Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries, will pass through disinfection tunnels in compliance with health protocols, the official added.

In a relevant development, Iran and Turkmenistan inaugurated a border bridge between the two countries on Monday evening, Spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration Seyed Rouhollah Latifi announced in early May.

"Sarakhs border bridge will be officially inaugurated in the presence of Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development, the Minister of Construction and Architecture of Turkmenistan, the governors of Akhal and Khorasan Razavi and the ambassadors of the two countries," Latifi said.

He pointed out that the inauguration of the bridge has been on the agenda of the two sides in line with reopening the land and rail borders, and said, "Within the next few days the borders of the two countries will be reactivated for trade exchanges." - Fars