A business delegation from Tajikistan led by the first deputy minister of industries and new technologies, Bakhtiar Sharifi, arrived in Tehran on Friday for talks with the head of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, Alireza Peymanpak.
The delegation is due to visit pharmaceutical, food, petrochemical and chemical companies in the provinces of Alborz, Fars and Khorasan Razavi. It will also call on officials from the energy, oil, transportation and railway sectors.
The visit comes after President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon visited Tehran earlier this month at the head of a top-level politico-economic delegation.
Iran exported 124,737 tons of goods worth $91.6 million to the Central Asian neighbor in the last calendar year (March 2021-22), registering 535% and 459% rise in weight and value, respectively on the year before, according to the spokesperson of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.
“Our main exports were agricultural products, construction material, petrochemicals, chocolate and pastry, dry nuts, electronics, home and kitchen appliances, footwear, apparel, kitchenware, chemicals, industrial machinery, textiles, leather, stationery, agricultural equipment and packaging materials,” Rouhollah Latifi was quoted by ILNA as saying.
During the period 14,512 tons of goods worth $39.43 million were imported from Tajikistan, registering 263% and 439% rise in volume and value, respectively on the previous year.
“We mostly imported uncombed cotton and silkworm cocoons.”
Iran-Tajikistan non-oil trade in the last Iranian year stood at 139,000 tons worth $131 million, up 489% and 463% on volume and value, respectively.
Latifi said given the cultural, language and historic similarities between the two sides, trade indeed has the potential for higher growth, adding that with the visit of the Tajik president to Iran, negotiations for expanding commercial ties would begin soon.
“Bilateral trade in the last 15 years stood at 2.71 million tons worth nearly $2.58 billion. Our exports accounted for 2.53 million tons worth $2.2 billion while imports from Tajikistan hit 185,996 tons worth $376.36 million.”
After a two-year hiatus, Tajikistan recently resumed air traffic with Iran and India, an official source with the Civil Aviation Agency under the Government of Tajikistan told Asia-Plus in an interview.
“After a two-year break caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Tajikistan has resumed regular flights on the following air routes: Dushanbe-New Delhi-Dushanbe; Dushanbe-Nursultan-Dushanbe; and Dushanbe-Tehran-Dushanbe,” the source said, noting that the flights operate twice-weekly.
The Dushanbe-Delhi-Dushanbe flight resumed on April 9. Tajikistan’s privately owned air carrier Somon Air operates flights on this air route.
The Dushanbe-Tehran-Dushanbe flight is operated by Iran’s flag carrier IranAir. “If possible, Somon Air will also operate flights on this air route,” the source added.
