The second working meeting on the creation of a joint trade zone between Turkmenistan and Iran within the framework of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was held in Iran's Golestan province, according to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.

The event was attended by ECO representatives, as well as heads of trade, border, and customs agencies from both countries. The meeting discussed the creation of a trade market at the “Altyn Asyr”-“Bajgiran” border crossing.

The Turkmen delegation emphasized the importance of actively using border and regional trade opportunities to increase trade turnover between ECO member countries, as noted by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov at the meeting of the organization's heads of state.

The parties discussed issues of simplifying visa and customs procedures in the newly created trade zone, the functioning of the insurance system, and the possibility of attracting third-country investment into the project.

ECO representatives noted that the project's implementation will serve as a major model for the organization's member countries. They expressed their readiness to prepare a draft agreement and plan for the establishment of a trade zone at the “Altyn Asyr” - “Incheburun” customs checkpoint (located on the border between the Balkan region and Iran's Golestan province – ed.) and send it to both parties in the near future.

In the afternoon, the Turkmen delegation toured the planned trade zone site. The Iranian side expressed its intention to fully restore customs operations to pre-pandemic levels in parallel with the trade zone's construction.

Following the meeting, the participants proposed holding the next meeting of the working group in Turkmenistan.