Tehran, Beijing discuss joint transport corridor to expand trade
Iran and China have proposed establishing a joint transport corridor to facilitate trade and strengthen logistics cooperation between the two countries, Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday.
The proposal was raised during a meeting between officials from the Tehran Chamber of Commerce and the Khorgos International Chamber of Commerce of China, where the two sides discussed ways to ease cargo transportation and expand the role of the Middle Corridor in bilateral trade.
The two sides also stressed making greater use of the Khorgos dry port in China's Xinjiang region on the border with Kazakhstan to strengthen Iran's role in international transport corridors.
Peyman Sanandaji, head of the Tehran Chamber's Transport Commission, proposed four measures, including designing a joint transport model through the Khorgos port, launching a pilot project, exchanging logistics data and creating a joint mechanism to address operational issues. He said practical joint projects in transport and transit were needed.
"The Tehran Chamber has consistently pursued the issue of connecting Iran to regional corridors through Khorgos over the past two years," Sanandaji said.
He said he hoped the cooperation would move into the implementation stage because "Khorgos is one of the strategic points in the region's transport and transit network and can play an important role in facilitating trade among Iran, China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe."
"Our goal is to move beyond dialogue toward implementing operational projects so that, through joint cooperation, cargo transportation costs are reduced and transport routes between Iran and the countries along this corridor are expanded," he said.
Sanandaji said the country's existing border infrastructure, logistics centers, customs-supervised warehouses and transport facilities provided the potential for Iran to serve as a distribution hub and help complete regional transport corridors.
He said the proposed mechanisms could help connect Iranian businesses more effectively to markets in Central Asia, Russia and parts of Europe through Khorgos.
He added that the Tehran Chamber would organize specialized meetings and business-to-business events to facilitate direct cooperation between Iranian and Chinese companies.
Ma Fuming, head of the Khorgos International Chamber of Commerce, proposed creating a joint transport corridor to facilitate trade, reduce cargo transportation costs and expand economic cooperation between Iran and China.
Referring to the expansion of transport networks and international corridors under China's Belt and Road Initiative, Ma said China had developed multiple routes linking Central Asia and Europe in recent years and that Iran, because of its geographic location, could play an important role in that network.
"Therefore, a joint corridor can be defined for transport between the two countries, and bilateral cooperation can be expanded within that framework," he said.
Ma welcomed the proposals presented at the meeting and said the Khorgos International Chamber of Commerce was ready to cooperate in implementing them.
The meeting concluded with Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Chairman Mahmoud Najafi Arab and Ma Fuming unveiling the representative office of the Khorgos International Chamber of Commerce at the Tehran Chamber on Wednesday.