Iran Champions ECO Integration Through Major International Corridors

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 2.​ Iran is making efforts to play a constructive role in advancing the goals and programs of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) by actively participating in the North-South and East-West international transport corridors, said Farzaneh Sadegh, Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Trend reports.

Speaking at the 10th meeting of the ministers of transport of ECO member states held in Tehran, Sadegh noted that Iran has over 250,000 kilometers of highways and 15,000 kilometers of railways. This infrastructure can contribute to strengthening bilateral and multilateral cargo transportation and transit connections within the ECO framework.

Sadegh mentioned that boosting cargo transport and transit is the name of the game to elevate the ECO's standing and turn it into a thriving regional organization. In this neck of the woods, nailing down transport strategies and visions within the ECO 2035 outlook is crucial as it sets the stage for the road ahead.

The Iranian minister added that during the past Iranian year (from March 20, 2024, through March 20, 2025), 20 million tons of cargo were transited through Iran, marking a record figure for the country. The goal is to increase this volume to 40 million tons by 2029.

To note, the Economic Cooperation Organization includes 10 countries: Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan.

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