Iran, Pakistan Agree to Facilitate Border Truck Transit

The Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development says that the railway lines between Iran and Pakistan will be renovated and improved, stressing that the travels for trucks will also be made easier for business people.

Farzaneh Sadegh made the comments talking to reporters in Tehran on Saturday after her trip to neighboring Pakistan.

Referring to the agreement between Iran and Pakistan to facilitate customs processes and the smooth travels of trucks between the two countries, the Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh said that "Facilitating customs processes for smoother truck travels and implementing projects to improve and modernize railway lines are two main axes of new cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad.."

Referring to the importance of transport and transit relations between the two countries, she stated that "Given their geopolitical position, Iran and Pakistan have a lot of joint programs on the agenda in the fields of road, rail, and maritime transport."

Railway cooperation includes the improvement and modernization of lines, in the road sector, the focus is on facilitating customs affairs and providing better conditions for truckers of the two countries; and in the maritime sector, the establishment of a direct connection between the ports of Karachi, Gwadar, and Chabahar is being pursued."

"This cooperation will not only lead to an increase in the volume of transit exchanges between Iran and Pakistan, but will also provide a platform for the development of regional transit routes," Sadegh also said.

"With the realization of this cooperation, the link between Pakistan and China and, thereby, China's link to Europe through Pakistan and Iran will be established: something that is of great strategic importance and is being seriously pursued by the two countries." - Mehr