Turkmenistan Criticized for Strictness on Its Borders
Turkmenistan Criticized for Strictness on Its Borders
Head of Iran-Tajikistan Chamber of Commerce says Iran has faced problem for its exports to the Central Asian countries because of Turkmenistan’s strictness on its border crossings.

Turkmenistan Criticized for Strictness on Its Borders

IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Head of Iran-Tajikistan Chamber of Commerce says Iran has faced problem for its exports to the Central Asian countries because of Turkmenistan’s strictness on its border crossings.

Speaking to ILNA, Mohammad Hossein Roshanak pointed to Turkmenistan’s imposed restrictions on its border crossings, saying that the restrictions have affected not only on Iran’s trade with Turkmenistan but also hit Iran’s exports by railway to other the Central Asian states and north of Afghanistan.

He reiterated that strictness of Turkmenistan on its borders is totally exaggeration and it has no justification, adding that such restrictions are just type nit-picking because the cargo is loaded in Mashhad and it takes a week to reach Turkmenistan’s border and if the cargo is infected with any virus will be virus-free after a week.

Roshanak noted that if the strictness is because of the driver, Iran’s cargoes are transported by railway and there is no justification for any strictness, either.

He urged Iranian officials especially Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Roads and Urban Development to begin talks with Turkmenistan officials to resolve the problem.

Roshanak noted that so far Iranian officials have had several talks with Turkmen officials but talks have been in low level and weak and high-ranking Iranian officials are needed to involve in talks with Turkmenistan.

On exports and the volume of exports in the past Iranian calendar year, he said that the volume of exports last year in terms of weight grew by 33 percent comparing to its preceding year, noting that in terms of value, last year’s exports equaled to its preceding year.

On the condition of exports in the current year, Roshanak said that the issue of Coronavirus will not be resolved soon and all policy-makings for international trade should be based the realities and the Coronavirus.

He reiterated that if the issue of the Coronavirus and restrictions of Turkmenistan are not solved in two months, several exported goods of Iran like cookies, dry milk and edible foods will decay in the borders.