Iran: Transit trade through Chabahar Port

Officials from Iran, India, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan met in Mumbai to explore strategies for enhancing commercial transactions and facilitating the transportation and transit of goods through Iran’s Chabahar Port.

Hossein Shahdadi, Deputy Director of Port and Economic Affairs of Chabahar, represented Iran at the meeting, which also included senior officials from India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, as well as ambassadors and diplomats from Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.

Chabahar potential

The discussions centered on leveraging Chabahar’s strategic position as a vital trade and transit hub connecting Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. Participants reviewed the port’s current infrastructure and operational capacity while addressing key obstacles to trade, including bureaucratic challenges, logistical inefficiencies, and infrastructure gaps.

As part of the agenda, the officials also proposed measures to streamline customs processes, enhance multimodal transport connectivity, and expand investment in Chabahar’s development to unlock its full potential as a regional trade gateway.

Chabahar regional role

Chabahar Port, located on Iran’s southeastern coast in the Gulf of Oman, is Iran’s only oceanic port and holds immense strategic significance. It provides a shorter and more secure trade route for landlocked countries such as Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, offering a viable alternative to traditional trade routes through Pakistan.

India, in particular, has invested heavily in Chabahar as part of its broader strategy to bypass Pakistan and enhance trade with Central Asia, Afghanistan, and beyond. The port is seen as a linchpin of India’s International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal trade route linking India to Russia via Iran and Central Asia.

Chabahar Port and India

India has played a significant role in the development of Chabahar Port, committing substantial financial and technical resources to its construction and expansion. Under a trilateral agreement signed in 2016 between Iran, India, and Afghanistan, India has been granted operational control of a portion of the port. Since then, the country has contributed to improving the port’s infrastructure, including the construction of new terminals, installation of modern equipment, and dredging activities to enhance its cargo-handling capacity.

In recent years, India has shipped essential commodities such as wheat to Afghanistan through Chabahar and has positioned the port as a key enabler of humanitarian assistance and economic collaboration. The development of Chabahar aligns with India’s vision of regional connectivity and underscores its commitment to promoting economic stability in Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Future goals and challenges

The third joint working group meeting also highlighted the challenges faced in realizing Chabahar’s full potential. These include the need for sustained investment in rail and road connectivity, enhancing port efficiency, and addressing geopolitical issues, including US sanctions on Iran, which have hindered the pace of collaboration in some areas.

Despite these hurdles, all four nations reiterated their commitment to furthering cooperation on Chabahar and exploring innovative solutions to promote regional trade and economic integration. The port’s strategic location and growing role in fostering connectivity ensure it will remain central to the economic ambitions of the participating nations.

 

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan sign agreements

Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday, marking the highest-level visit by a foreign official since the Taliban returned to power three years ago.

Aripov, leading a delegation, was welcomed at Kabul airport by Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister, and other senior government officials, according to a statement from Afghanistan's Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

During his visit, Aripov met with Taliban leaders to discuss bilateral relations, with a focus on strengthening trade and business ties between the two countries. The talks resulted in the signing of five trade and investment agreements.

Additionally, the officials are set to inaugurate an exhibition of Uzbek products in Afghanistan.

Earlier in the week, an Uzbek delegation engaged in meetings with Afghanistan's Ministry of Commerce. On Friday, Afghan media reported a trilateral meeting among the economy ministers of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan in Kabul to explore ways to enhance trade relations.

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, which share a 144-kilometer (89-mile) border, have seen a recent improvement in relations.

The Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO troops withdrew, have yet to be recognized by the international community due to concerns over their restrictive policies.

 

China urges 'Brethren in Central Asia' to unite

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the “Brethren in Central Asia” to unite against attempts to divide them in the face of unprecedented turmoil and build themselves as the bridge connecting Asia and Europe.

“The world needs a harmonious Central Asia. Brotherhood is better than all wealth,” Xi said in a keynote speech delivered on the second day of the inaugural China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, attended by the leaders of five countries in the region.

“Ethnic conflicts, religious strife and cultural divisions are not the main theme of Central Asia. Unity, tolerance and harmony are what the people of Central Asia seek,” he said, adding, “No one has the right to create discord and confrontation in Central Asia, let alone seek political self-interest from it”.

“The sovereignty, security, independence and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries must be safeguarded, the development path chosen independently by the Central Asian people must be respected, and the efforts of the Central Asian region to work for peace, harmony and tranquility must be supported,” Xi said.

With its “unique geographical advantage”, Central Asia could “become an important interconnection hub in Asia and Europe”.

Xi pledged to expand trade and economic cooperation with Central Asia and said Beijing would deepen connectivity in the region and expand energy cooperation, among other things, according to state news agency Xinhua.

He said China hoped to speed up construction of the Line D natural gas pipeline and expand the scale of oil and gas trade with the region.

Xi also announced that China would provide US$3.7 billion in financial support for the development of Central Asian nations.

Xi said the summit – the first in-person meeting of its kind since Beijing established diplomatic relations with the five newly independent countries in 1992 – opened up new prospects for cooperation with Central Asia.

“The relations between China and Central Asian countries have profound historical origins, extensive practical needs, and a solid foundation of public opinion, and they are full of vigor and vitality in the new era,” he said.

Xi said China was willing to help Central Asian countries bolster their law enforcement security and defence capabilities to independently maintain regional security, adding that China would promote the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Xi also called for joint efforts to boost strategic trust and strengthen security ties between China and Central Asia.

“We will resolutely oppose external forces interfering in the internal affairs of regional countries and staging ‘colour revolutions’, maintain zero tolerance for the three forces, and work to resolve the regional security dilemma,” he said, referring to terrorism, separatism and religious extremism.

The summit, in the northwestern province of Shaanxi, coincided with the Group of Seven meeting in Japan, where leaders from the advanced economies – including the US, Canada, Germany and France – are expected to discuss ways to counter China’s economic coercion.

The leaders agreed on Friday to set up a formal mechanism to hold a China-Central Asia meeting every two years, with Kazakhstan to host the next one in 2025.

Beijing views Central Asia as a critical frontier for expanding trade and energy security. The region is also regarded as crucial to maintaining stability in Xinjiang, where the treatment of Uygur Muslims has been among the most contentious issues between China and the West.

In recent months, efforts to strengthen ties with the region included Xi’s first trip abroad since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, with visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in September.

On Thursday, Xi held a series of one-on-one meetings with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. All expressed support for greater Chinese engagement in the region, including under the flagship Belt and Road Initiative.

Yu Jun, deputy director general of the Chinese foreign ministry’s department of European-Central Asian affairs, flagged on Tuesday that the leaders of the six nations were expected to sign a slew of important political documents on areas including economy, trade and connectivity.

Trade between China and the five Central Asian countries has increased significantly since Beijing launched its belt and road plan in 2013. The combined volume reached US$70.2 billion last year, up 40%YoY, according to Chinese customs data.

 

Kazakhstan and Russia to construct gas pipeline up to China

Kazakhstan and Russia have established the route for a future gas pipeline to support shipments between the two countries and to China, Kazakhstan's energy minister said on Tuesday.

The pipeline would help Russia, hit by Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine to boost sales of its energy and commodities in Asia while also ensuring that Kazakhstan secures supplies for its central, northern and eastern regions.

"The issue of building a gas pipeline from Russia through the northern territories of Kazakhstan to China is being discussed, the route has been preliminarily determined, the conditions for the construction of this gas pipeline are being discussed," Kazakhstan's energy minister Almasadam Satkaliyev said.

Russia has been discussing a possible gas union with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to support shipments between the three countries and to other energy buyers, including China.

Russia's pipeline gas exports to Europe, which used to be the main supply market for oil and gas from Russia, almost halved last year following the start of what the Kremlin says is a special military operation in Ukraine.

To make up for the loss of the European market, Moscow is forging close trade and political ties with Asia, which has become the main buyer of Russian oil, a major source of revenue for the Kremlin.

Keen to increase sales of natural gas to China, Russia has been in talks with Beijing on the construction of a second pipeline, the Power of Siberia 2, with an annual capacity of 50 billion cubic meters (bcm), roughly in line with the 55 bcm capacity of the damaged and idled Nord Stream 1 undersea pipeline to Germany.

The talks have been fractious and there is still no agreement on the gas price.

Last year, Kremlin-controlled Gazprom also agreed to supply Chinese state energy major CNPC with 10 bcm of gas each year from Russia's far eastern island of Sakhalin.

Currently, Russia supplies China via the only one route - Power of Siberia pipeline, which is expected to reach full annual capacity of 38 bcm by 2025.

 

 

Uzbekistan links child deaths to Indian syrup

According to Saudi Gazette, Uzbekistan's health ministry has said that 18 children have died after drinking a cough syrup manufactured by Indian drug maker Marion Biotech.

The ministry said that preliminary tests showed a batch of the medicine contained ethylene glycol, a toxic substance.

The children were given the Dok-1 Max syrup without a doctor's prescription, it said. The amount they consumed also exceeded the standard dose for children.

The allegation from Uzbekistan comes weeks after The Gambia also linked child deaths to cough syrups made by another Indian firm.

India's health ministry said in a statement that its officials have been in regular contact with the national drug regulator of Uzbekistan regarding the matter since December 27, 2022.

It added that health officials have conducted an inspection of Marion Biotech's facility in Noida in Uttar Pradesh state.

"The samples of the cough syrup have been taken from the manufacturing premises and sent to Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory, Chandigarh for testing," the statement added.

News agency ANI has quoted a Marion Biotech executive as saying that the company has halted production of the syrup temporarily. He added that the government was conducting an enquiry and that the firm would take action accordingly.

Marion Biotech is based in Noida, near India's national capital Delhi. Its website is currently down, but the company's LinkedIn page says it was founded in 1999 and that its products are household names in Central Asian countries, Central and Latin America, South East Asia and Africa".

India produces a third of the world's medicines, mostly in the form of generic drugs.

The country, home to some of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical companies, is known as the world's pharmacy and meets much of the medical needs of developing countries.

The Uzbek ministry statement, dated December 27, says that Dok-1 Max tablets and syrup have been sold in the country since 2012.

"It was found that the deceased children, before admission to hospital treatment, took this drug at home for 2-7 days, 3-4 times a day, 2.5-5ml, which exceeds the standard dose of the drug for children," the ministry said.

The statement did not specify over what time period the deaths occurred. BBC Monitoring had reported on December 23, citing news website Gazeta.uz, that Uzbek authorities were investigating claims that 15 children died in central Samarkand region over the past two months after taking a cough syrup made in India".

On December 26, Podrobno.uz news website reported that 21 children - 15 of them under the age of three - were treated for acute kidney failure allegedly caused by the India-made cough syrup Dok-1 Max between September and December". Three of the patients recovered.

The ministry also said that preliminary laboratory studies have shown that this series of Dok-1 Max syrup contains ethylene glycol.

In October 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) had sounded a global alert and linked four India-made cough syrups to the deaths of 66 children from kidney injuries in The Gambia. It said tests on samples of the syrup showed that they contained unacceptable amounts of toxic substances diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

Both the Indian government and the company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, have denied the allegations.

India said earlier in December that tests on the four syrups showed that they complied with specifications, and a government official told the BBC that the WHO had been presumptuous in blaming the syrups. But the WHO said it stood by the action taken.

Last week, a parliamentary committee in The Gambia recommended the prosecution of Maiden Pharmaceuticals after weeks of investigation. The committee also recommended banning all products by the firm in the country. 

Iran's Joining Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian praised Iran’s decision to move forward with an accession bill to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), noting that a recent vote on the bill for the accession of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO shows the determination and seriousness of our country to develop regional, international, and economic cooperation and strengthen its view of Asia.

The SCO includes countries in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and China. These are important countries because Russia and China tend to position themselves at odds with the US. This is increasingly true with Russia after the Ukraine invasion. Russia and the West appear to have completely destroyed their relations, and Iran would like to swoop in and benefit.

Iran calls this multilateralism. Recently in an interview with the Chinese People’s Daily Online published on Saturday, Mohammad Keshavarzzadeh stated that the SCO seeks to assist in providing better answers to the problems faced by member states as well as the region.

He argued that there was great “significance of Iran joining the bloc by pointing out that the organization includes members from Central and Eastern Asia in addition to other regions, and this can give Iran a platform to make overtures with all of these countries.”

The reason Iran likes the SCO is that it views it as an organization that has no Western members. “On a question that some Western nations equate the SCO with NATO, Keshavarzzadeh said such a comparison is wrong because the SCO is an inclusive bloc and not a military alliance,” a report in Tehran Times noted. These are pro-regime publications and reflect Iran’s stance.

An article at the Carnegie Endowment for International peace notes that Iran joining the SCO will bring some benefits to Tehran, but there are also hurdles.

“Iranian officials still maintain that officially joining the SCO – which is slated to occur by April 2023 – will bring benefits in the economic, commercial, and strategic sectors. Furthermore, from the perspective of the SCO itself, Iran’s political cooperation may be useful for the organization’s relations with the Islamic world,” the report noted.

It also notes that trade between Iran and SCO countries surpassed US$651 billion last year. But Iran will need to modernize its infrastructure to take advantage of any new opportunities. Also, the new China-Iran partnership will take a while to be realized in terms of benefits for Tehran.

 

Pakistani Prime Minister meets world leaders at Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting

Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Samarkand Thursday on a two-day trip to attend the 22nd annual meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Uzbekistan PM Abdulla Aripov received him at the airport.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and Defence Minister Khwaja Asif are also accompanying him.

Shortly after arriving, the prime minister visited Khizr Complex and paid his respects at the mausoleum of Uzbekistan’s first president, Islam Karimov.

One of his important meetings was with Russian President. Vladimir Putin said that pipeline gas supplies to Pakistan were possible, revealing that necessary infrastructures were already in place, according to state-owned news agency RIA.

On the sidelines of the SCO summit, Shehbaz met several world leaders including Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi. The two leaders acknowledged moving forward positive trajectory of bilateral relations.

The prime minister also met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

Earlier in the day, the premier held a meeting with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and discussed issues of mutual interest.

The meeting focused on strengthening Pak-Uzbek ties in diverse fields for the benefit of the two brotherly nations.

The PM also met President of Tajikistan Emamoli Rahmon. Both leaders agreed to bolster and expand the scope of mutually beneficial fraternal ties.

Shehbaz thanked Tajikistan for its support to the flood affectees in Pakistan and shared details of the devastation caused by the massive floods, induced by climate change.

Furthermore, he underlined the importance of regular meetings on bilateral institutional mechanisms and the establishment of mutually beneficial cooperation in the implementation of energy projects.

The premier is scheduled to meet other world leaders including Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

However, Foreign Office Spokesman Asim Iftikhar told Shehbaz had no plans to meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Prior to his departure, PM Shehbaz took to Twitter to share his views on the SCO summit.

“The global economic turbulence has necessitated the need for more cooperation among SCO member countries,” he said, adding that the “SCO vision” represented the aspirations of 40% of the world’s population.

“Pakistan reiterates its commitment to ‘Shanghai Spirit’. Mutual respect and trust can be the bedrock of shared development and prosperity,” he said.

“The SCO has great potential to chart a way forward at a time of deeply worrying transformation in geopolitical and geoeconomic fields,” he concluded.

 “At the forthcoming event, the SCO leaders will deliberate on important global and regional issues, including climate change, food security, energy security, and sustainable supply chains,” according to Radio Pakistan.

They will also approve agreements and documents that would chart the future direction of cooperation among SCO member states.

 

China sends troops and tanks to Russia to participate in military games

Reportedly, Chinese People’s Liberation Army has sent a delegation to Russia to take part in Moscow’s International Army Games next month, the first time the event has been held since Russia invaded Ukraine.

A train carrying personnel, military tanks and vehicles recently left Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia in China’s north, headed to Zabaikalsk in Russia’s Far East, the military channel of state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday, without giving further details.

The Chinese team is expected to compete against counterparts from 37 countries and regions at the event – Russia’s largest multinational military exercise. It will take place between August 13 and 27 across 12 countries, including Russia, Iran, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

First held in 2015, this year’s International Army Games is being held amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West after Moscow attacked Ukraine on February 24.

Venezuela – which broke off relations with the United States in 2019 after President Nicolas Maduro assumed a second term in an election that Washington considered a “sham” – is to host a sniper competition as part of the war games.

It will be the first time the Russian-led exercise has been held in the western hemisphere. That could be a “strategic move” for China, Russia, Iran and Venezuela “to preposition forward-deployed military assets in Latin America and the Caribbean”, the Centre for a Secure Free Society, a Washington-based think tank, said in a recent report.

Meanwhile, Niger and Rwanda will be the first African countries to make their debut at the games, according to the Russian defence ministry.

China has been a regular participant since 2015 and will host three competitions, including an infantry fighting vehicles game and a frigate race.

Chinese and Russian forces have stepped up joint military exercises since 2005, both bilaterally and through multilateral platforms, and these have become more regular in recent years as both countries face increasing acrimony from the West.

China’s PLA is also looking to learn from its Russian counterparts, which have carried out military operations in a number of regions in recent years, from the North Caucasus and Georgia to Ukraine and Syria.

While Beijing and Moscow have said their military cooperation does not target any third country, it has prompted growing suspicion from the West.

In its latest defence white paper released on Friday, the Japanese defence ministry said the deepening of military cooperation between China and Russia, including joint air and navy drills in Northeast Asia, “will have a direct effect on the security situation surrounding” Japan.

The International Army Games, organized by Russia’s defence ministry, brings together the militaries of dozens of countries every year in an event it says is to sharpen their skills in combat operations, including a 50km (31-mile) march through the snow.

It comes as 14 NATO allies last month took part in a 13-day joint exercise in the Baltic. Among those taking part were the United States, Norway, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Belgium. Finland and Sweden – which applied for Nato membership after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – also joined the exercise.

It involved more than 45 ships, 75 aircraft and 7,500 personnel and covered amphibious operations; anti-submarine and air defence drills that NATO said would demonstrate the flexibility of the maritime forces.

  

Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Economic Committee Meeting Scheduled

Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry will hold 14th Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Economic Committee meeting on February 20-21, said an official of Trade Promotion Organization (TPO).

Director General of TPO’s United States and Europe Office, Mohammad-Reza Karimzadeh said on Friday that the 14th Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Committee meeting has been convened in Tehran for the promotion of trade among the two countries.

Expert committees have held talks in recent days to coordinate the preparation of the draft for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries on economic, investment, customs, transportation, energy, health, scientific, technological, tourism, cultural and agricultural arenas, Karimzadeh said.

The official further noted that given the importance of enhancing relations between the private sectors of the two countries, the organizers also plan to hold a seminar on trade opportunities of the two nations on the sidelines of the mentioned meeting at the venue of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) on February 21, 2022.

Talking about the significance of the Joint Economic Committee meeting in developing the trade and economic relations between Iran and Uzbekistan, the Iranian official said, Uzbekistan is one of the important markets for Iranian commodities. Iran’s exports to Uzbekistan have witnessed significant growth in recent months, Karimzadeh said.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari said on February 17, 2022 that the Islamic Republic is going to hold two joint economic committee meetings with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in Tehran in the coming days separately.

It is expected that holding such meetings will help sign promising agreements for future cooperation in different fields, Safari noted.

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, a delegation comprising of experts from Pakistan will also visit Tehran in the near future to discuss collaborations with officials in Iran’s agriculture sector.

Pakistan and Iran have so far shown determination to enhance economic and trade ties between private and administrative sectors of both countries, Safari added.

Iran’s growing trade with ECO member countries

Iran’s trade with the members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) exceeded US$10.447 billion in the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-November 22) to register a 44% increase year on year (YoY), the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) said.

According to Ruhollah Latifi, the volume of trade with the mentioned countries also increased by 34 percent in comparison to the previous year’s same eight months, IRNA reported.

As reported, during the mentioned period Iran traded over 21,778,387 tons of commodities worth US$10.447 billion with ECO member countries including Turkey, Afghanistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Iran exported 18.631 million tons of commodities worth over US$6.823 billion to the said nations in the mentioned period.

He said major export destinations of the Iranian goods in the said union were Turkey with about US$3.767 billion of imports, Afghanistan with US$1.27 billion, Pakistan with US$764.389 million, and Azerbaijan with US$335.843 million.

As reported, the Islamic Republic’s export to ECO members increased by 46% and 54% as compared to the figures for the previous year in terms of weight and value, respectively.

Meanwhile, the country imported 3,147,332 tons of goods valued at over US$3.623 billion from the ECO member countries, with Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan being the top sources of imported goods.

The value of Iranian imports from the ECO union also increased by 28% as compared to the previous year’s same time span, the official said.

According to Latifi, more than 23.723 million tons of goods worth US$11.71 billion were traded between Iran and the ECO member countries during the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), of which the share of exports was 18.419 million tons of goods worth US$6.890 billion and the share of imports from these countries was 5.312 million tons worth US$4.819 billion.

The value of Iran’s non-oil trade during the first eight months of the current year stood at about US$33 billion, Latifi had previously announced.

The Economic Cooperation Organization or ECO is an Asian political and economic intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1985 in Tehran by the leaders of Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey.

 

Iran keen in developing links with neighbors

Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari has said it is a priority to expand economic and trade cooperation with neighbors, saying the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) can help achieve this goal.

Safari made the remarks at a meeting with ECO Secretary-General Khosrow Nazeri on the eve of the ECO summit in Turkmenistan, Mehr reported on Wednesday.

ECO includes Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

At the meeting, the ECO chief presented a report on the process to prepare for the summit in Ashgabat and hailed Iran for its assistance in this regard.

Safari said expansion of economic and trade cooperation with neighbors is a priority of the new Iranian administration and stressed the role of ECO in achieving the goals of member countries.

The top diplomat said a plan by Iran to send a high-level team to the forthcoming summit signifies the prominent position of ECO.

Safari said Iran is ready help ECO members to implement important decisions at the ECO summit in Ashgabat.

Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Rostam Qasemi said that positive agreements have been reached with neighboring countries, for expansion of transportation cooperation, especially in the aviation sector, IRNA reported.

Speaking at the ceremony on introducing the new head of Civil Aviation Organization (CAO), Qasemi said, “We recently reached agreements with Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan, part of which is related to the development of aviation.”

According to the official, the expansion of transportation cooperation with other countries will lead to the expansion of trade ties and eventually will increase the country’s revenues.

“We have made plans for upgrading our transportation fleet. However, we need effective measures to be taken for the development of the aviation industry,” he stressed.

He further stated that the most important factor in the development of the aviation industry is the use of specialists to promote it, adding: “In order to empower the aviation industry to meet the needs of the country, we need more work to be done, and this capability exists inside the country.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Qasemi mentioned the needs of other transportation sectors including road, maritime, and rail, and said, “The transport sector needs to modernize its fleet, and we have not yet achieved the goals of the program in the rail, sea, and land sectors.”

Ghasemi pointed to the existing problems in the railway fleet and also the incompleteness of the country’s railway corridors and said, "Conditions in the railway sector are not favorable, the average life of the road transportation fleet is high and in the sea sector, despite high capacities, the capacity of the country’s ports has not been used well."

 

Taliban seize key Afghan border crossing with Iran

According to Associated Press report, Taliban on Thursday seized another key Afghan border crossing, this time with Iran. The seizure is part of a Taliban surge as American troops complete their pullout from Afghanistan.

It was the third border crossing the insurgents have taken in the past week, after seizing crossings with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The development came as President Joe Biden said the US military mission in Afghanistan will stop operation on 31^st August 2021.

Taliban victories have caused some countries to close their consulates in the region, while Tajikistan has called up reservists to reinforce that country’s southern border with Afghanistan.

An Afghan official said the Taliban on Thursday took control the Islam Qala crossing point in western Herat province. The official, who is in Herat, spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information to reporters.

Afghan soldiers in the border area of Islam Qala — a major transit route between Afghanistan and Iran — fled from their positions, crossing into Iran for refuge, Iranian media reported. The crossing is around 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of the city of Herat, the provincial capital.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted to confirm the taking of Islam Qala and said that Taliban fighters entered the Islam Qala town itself, and were greeted warmly by the local residents. Mujahid also posted a video purporting to show Taliban riding on the back of trucks in Islam Qala and shooting off into the air in celebration as a crowd of men cheered on.

Afghanistan has seen a Taliban surge as the American and NATO pullout stepped up over the past few months. On Tuesday, the US Central Command said 90% of the withdrawal of US troops and equipment from Afghanistan is complete. The US says the last troops will be gone by August.

Earlier, Taliban seized control of several districts from fleeing Afghan forces, several hundred of whom fled across the border into Tajikistan.

Since mid-April, when Biden announced the end to Afghanistan’s “forever war,” the Taliban have made strides throughout the country. On Thursday, Biden said he didn’t trust the Taliban but trusted the capacity of the Afghan military to defend the government. He also urged the Afghan government to reach a peace deal with the Taliban.

But their most significant gains have been in the north, a traditional stronghold of the US-allied warlords who helped defeat the Taliban in 2001. In Badakhshan province, many districts fell without a fight. The consulates of Turkey and Russia have reportedly closed in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, and Afghanistan’s fourth-largest city.

Taliban now control roughly a third of all 421 districts and district centers in Afghanistan. Their victories are also putting pressure on provincial cities and taking away government control of key transportation routes.

Islam Qala made headlines in February, when a massive fire erupted following an explosion of a fuel tanker. At least 20 people were injured and hundreds of trucks lined up at the crossing carrying natural gas and fuel were engulfed in the blaze. It took firefighters from both countries three days to put out. There was no suggestion of Taliban involvement in the explosion.

Trade between Iran and SCO members exceeds US$23 billion

The value of trade between Iran and the members of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) rose to US$23.165 billion during the first 11 months of the current Iranian calendar year. This was disclosed by Ruhollah Latifi, spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced.

Iran has cross-border trade with 11 key member states and observer states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Belarus. Among these the largest volume of trade was with China amounting to US$15.518 billion, the IRICA spokesman stated.

He put Iran’s export to the SCO members at 33.339 million tons valued at US$11.173 billion during the period under review. Out of this the highest amount of export has been to China, amounting to US$6.724 billion and the lowest was to Mongolia, amounting to US$412,809.

Iran’s imports from the member countries weighing 8.408 million tons was worth US$11.991 billion Latifi said, adding the highest amount of imports was from China (US$8.793 billion), and the lowest was from Mongolia (US$2.448 million).

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic and security alliance. Its creation was announced on 15th June 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The SCO Charter was signed in June 2002 and became effective on 19th September 2003.