Consultations underway with Turkmen president to re-open Bajgiran border terminal

Iran's Ambassador to Ashgabat Mohammad Ahmadi said on Saturday that Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhundi held talks with Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow on re-opening the border terminal, according to IRNA.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of inauguration ceremony of Ashgabat International Airport.

Akhundi is currently on a short visit to Turkmenistan to attend inauguration ceremony of the new Ashgabat airport.

He co-chairs Tehran-Ashgabat Joint Economic Commission in charge of regulating trade relations between the two countries.

Turkmenistan levied toll of 160 dollars on every Iranian truck less than 20 tons and 260 dollars for above 20 tons as transit duty.

In the meantime, Turkmenistan charges one dollar per kilometer as transit duty.

Bajgiran border terminal which was closed in mid-August to Iranian trucks was also closed to Iranian passengers from August 17, 2016.

Director General for Transit and international transport of Iranian Ministry of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Javad Atrchian told IRNA that the move by Turkmenistan is contrary to the goodwill relations and the transport agreements already signed between the two countries.

In a meeting between Abbas Akhundi and Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rashit Meredow in April, the Iranian minister called for increasing daily shuttle of trucks between the two countries from 600 to 800 trucks and expressed Iran's readiness for coordination of the customs houses and creation of unified network in border terminals.

According to Trade Promotion Organization of Iran statistics, trade between the two countries exceeded 727 million dollars last year.