Iran reports major jump in exports to Central Asia

An Iranian deputy foreign minister responsible for economic diplomacy says exports from the country to the Central Asia region have jumped over the past two months thanks to policies adopted by an administrative government that only came to office in August.

Mehdi Safari said on Thursday that Iranian exports to some Central Asian countries over October and November had exceeded the total amount of shipments recorded in the six months before that.

“Central Asia is one of the most important regions (to us) as our trade relations with the region had significantly declined and our ties with them had been weakened considerably,” said Safari while insisting that growing exports to Central Asia show ties between Iran and countries in the region have started to improve.

Elaborating on trade figures, the deputy foreign minister said that Iranian exports to Uzbekistan over the two months to November had amounted to $380 million, up from only $120 million recorded in the six months to September.

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The official said that exports to Tajikistan had also amounted to $120 million in the October-November period, up from half-year earnings of $60 million registered in late September.

Safari said that Iran was also working on a trade project in Tajikistan which could increase the value of exports to the country by another $350 million.

He said Iran eyes a major share of export markets in landlocked countries in Central Asia through launching transit corridors that can facilitate the access of those countries to ocean ports in southern Iran.

The official said that Iranian exports to the region would double in value terms within the next two and a half years.

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