Iran Signs Agreement With Kazakhstan to Boost Road Transport Cooperation

Iran and Kazakhstan have signed an agreement on issuing permits for truckers commuting between the two countries to boost mutual cooperation in road transportation sector.
The deal was signed during a meeting by a high-ranking delegation from Iran Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization and Kazakh officials in Astana on Saturday, Mehr News Agency reported.
Reza Nafisi, director general of the organization’s Transit and International Transportation Office, said as per the agreement, a total of 1,000 transportation licenses will be issued for trucks commuting between the two countries during the next fiscal year (starting March 21, 2019).
During the meeting, the two sides discussed the 500 remaining transportation licenses agreed to in a previous deal.
According to Nafisi, of the remaining permits, 200 were allocated to Iranian truckers and will be handed to transportation companies in the near future.
Problems faced by road carriers during freight and passenger transportation and ways of resolving these problems, as well as prospects of developing transportation were also discussed in the meeting.
According to the official, Kazakh officials expressed readiness to hold a joint meeting on launching a Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) route between Aktau Port and one of the Iranian ports of Amirabad or Bandar Anzali, in the northern Gilan province.
Ro-Ro ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers and railroad cars, which are driven on and off the ship or use a platform vehicle, such as a self-propelled modular transporter. 
The transport model has significant advantages, such as considerably less travel time, speedy cargo handling and low costs that may also enable the diversification.
Nafisi further said the expansion of transit routes will enhance Iran’s position among regional countries and expressed the private sector’s readiness to invest in the prospective plan.
Iran-Kazakhstan trade volume exceeds $400 million per year and the two countries aim to increase the figure to $2 billion.