Turkmenistan and Iran Elevate the Joint Trade Zone Project to the Priorities of the ECO

The delegation of Turkmenistan participated in the 36th meeting of the Regional Planning Council of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), held under the chairmanship of Pakistan. During the forum, Ashgabat once again reaffirmed its commitment to deeply integrating into the transport and logistics system, developing the energy dialogue, and diversifying commodity supply routes based on the principles of the "green" economy. The Turkmen side drew special attention to the massive potential of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport as a key node for the multimodal "East — West" and "North — South" transport corridors.

The project to create a joint trade zone between Turkmenistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran was also reviewed at the meeting. This pilot project, to be implemented on the basis of the "Altyn Asyr" and "Incheburun" border points, aims to elevate traditional border trade to a new level of deep economic integration by harmonizing regulatory acts, eliminating bureaucratic obstacles, and introducing a "single window" system.

This strategic step is the logical continuation of the agreements reached by the representatives of the two countries during a sector-specific meeting held in the Golestan province of Iran with the support of the ECO. The geographical logic of integrating the "Incheburun" and "Altyn Asyr" points relies on the powerful potential of the existing railway and highway infrastructure that reliably connects Eurasian routes.

The success of this pilot platform, designed to strengthen constructive interconnectedness between the two neighboring states, is already being accepted by the relevant bodies of the ECO as a benchmark model for further scaling in the future. This experience will be utilized as an advanced management and customs model for creating a unified system of integrated free economic zones across the entire region.