Strategic corridor initiative launched to link Iran to Central Asia, China
Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan have launched operational cooperation to establish a direct transport corridor linking Iran to Tajikistan through Afghanistan, marking the first practical step toward creating a faster, safer and more economical route connecting Iran to Central Asia and China, Iran's deputy roads minister said.
"Creating this corridor could play an important role in expanding regional trade" Reza Akbari, head of Iran's Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization, said on the sidelines of a meeting on the initiative in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, ILNA reported on Thursday.
Akbari said Iran and Tajikistan are currently connected through Turkmenistan, adding that the meeting aimed to examine and operationalize the Afghan route as a complementary and more economical corridor for cargo transportation.
He said the three countries agreed to conduct a pilot shipment from Iran to Tajikistan via Afghanistan to assess actual transportation costs, transit times and potential operational challenges. The results will be used to evaluate the route's economic viability and prepare implementation plans.
Tajikistan has welcomed the proposal, Akbari said.
"This route will facilitate Tajikistan's access to open waters, the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, while expanding the country's trade opportunities. Afghanistan, by serving as a transit country, will also benefit from the corridor's economic, transit and infrastructure development opportunities," he said.
The meeting also discussed road and transport infrastructure development in Afghanistan, upgrading border terminals, simplifying customs procedures, standardizing transport documents, digitalizing processes and establishing a single trade window among the three countries, Akbari said.
He said the participants agreed on a joint memorandum recognizing the corridor as a priority area of trilateral cooperation.
"A comprehensive cooperation document will also be prepared to define the corridor's infrastructure, technical, software, legal and operational framework," he said.
Akbari said the three border crossings between Iran and Afghanistan — Dogharoun, Milak and Mahirud — could be connected to the proposed corridor, adding that the advantages and capacities of each route were under technical review.