(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The International Road Transport Union (IRU) sees road transport and the TIR system as central to connecting Iran's maritime gateways with the Caspian region, the Caucasus, and onward to Europe, while helping operators navigate sanctions-related complications, IRU TIR and Transit Director Tatiana Rey-Bellet told Trend.

"Our key priority with TIR is to reduce transport and border-crossing times while enhancing security," Rey-Bellet said. She noted that port procedures must be aligned with business needs. "If trade partners prefer to transship goods at ports and transport them directly to the final destination across borders without further transshipment, this choice should be supported by legislation and procedures".

Rey-Bellet said IRU is working with ECO and TRACECA to test East-West and North-South routes and to identify challenges and opportunities to create viable transportation options for secure trade. She added that IRU's main focus with UNECE and other regional bodies in the coming months is to support the region's rapid transition to eTIR.

On the impact of sanctions, she said restrictions complicate banking, insurance and guarantee arrangements, but they do not prohibit international transit. In fact, under Article 11 of the WTO TFA, countries must ensure freedom of transit.

She said the TIR system offers a secure framework for moving goods through Iran to neighbouring Central Asian states, helping operators maintain trade continuity. "TIR ensures full transparency on the start and end points of each transport, guaranteeing that goods remain sealed and are delivered intact to their final destination, with no commercial transactions occurring during transit".

Rey-Bellet added that operators ultimately choose the most suitable routes, but alternatives often face constraints. "Pakistan's borders with Afghanistan remain closed. In this context, Iran continues to serve as a practical and viable transit option for sustaining regional and global trade flows," she said.

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