Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan Form Joint Customs Committee to Enhance Astara Transit

Iran, Russia, and Azerbaijan held their first trilateral customs working group meeting on Tuesday in Astara, northern Iran, launching a joint committee aimed at resolving operational bottlenecks and doubling cargo transit volumes among the three countries.

Legal and Supervision Deputy of Iran's Customs, Ebrahim Naqdi, made the remarks on Tuesday in Astara, Gilan Province, on the sidelines of the first trilateral meeting of the customs working group on transit facilitation among Iran, Russia, and Azerbaijan, IRNA reported, saying the session focused on technical and expert-level discussions to address challenges hindering trade and transit flows.
“The trilateral customs working group meeting was held to facilitate the movement of goods and transit among the three countries,” Naqdi said. “Today’s session thoroughly examined current obstacles and explored practical solutions to boost trade, increase cargo carrier movement, and enhance transit efficiency.”

According to IRNA, Naqdi told reporters that the session marked the first formal step in implementing agreements previously reached during high-level negotiations, including a 2022 memorandum of understanding and a trilateral customs cooperation deal signed in Baku in October 2025. “Iran explicitly raised its demand to increase transit and cargo movement, emphasizing that with existing infrastructure — particularly at the Astara border — the current volume of transit could be doubled,” Naqdi said. He urged Azerbaijan — described as a “friendly and neighboring country” — to enhance its capacity to accept and process transiting cargo. “We hope the issues raised will soon be resolved and trade volumes will grow,” he added.

Currently, around 250 inbound and 250 outbound trucks cross the Astara border daily, while the Bilasuvar border in northwestern Iran sees approximately 200 to 250 trucks entering or exiting each day, he said. “This level is inconsistent with the depth of our trade relations and the needs of the three countries and must be upgraded,” Naqdi added. He stressed that reducing truck wait times at borders, facilitating carrier acceptance procedures, and expanding Azerbaijani customs capacity are “urgent necessities.”

The three nations agreed to prioritize standardization, simplification, and procedural facilitation for faster cargo clearance — all while maintaining necessary regulatory controls, he added. Naqdi noted that the October 2025 Baku agreement among the deputy customs heads of Iran, Russia, and Azerbaijan mandated the creation of a joint working committee to address trilateral issues. “Today’s meeting is the direct outcome of that agreement,” he said. “Iran’s Customs Administration took the lead in convening the first session, coordinating with the Foreign Ministry and other relevant agencies,” he said, adding that he expected “many of the border-related problems — including truck acceptance delays and unnecessary stoppages — to be resolved in the near future.” He added that the customs authorities of all three countries share a “serious commitment” to significantly increase trade volumes, a path that will continue through persistent follow-up, active customs diplomacy, and sustained trilateral cooperation. - Iran Daily