Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Representatives of Iran and six Central Asian countries signed a joint statement following the results of the first conference on transit cooperation, IRNA news agency reported.

Representatives of Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iran, after two days of discussions on Sunday, signed a statement with the aim of developing cooperation in the field of transit.

Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Rostam Ghasemi, after signing the statement, said that the conference was held at the initiative of the Islamic Republic, since transit is a defining issue, given the situation in the region.

"The conference will be held every six months," he said, noting that ministers and other representatives of the participating countries made constructive decisions to promote coordination and cooperation in the field of transit and transport.

According to the Iranian minister, the states participating in the conference stressed the need to develop transit, unify tariffs and issue annual visas for transit drivers.

Speaking about the deadline for the implementation of the joint statement and its details, Ghasemi noted that the transit of goods is of great importance for the Raisi administration. "Iran is determined to facilitate the transit of goods with countries with which we have not been connected in recent years," he stressed.

Given the existing infrastructure and transport capabilities within the countries, as well as regional and international markets and trade exchanges, including exports, imports and transit of Central Asian countries with non-regional countries through Iran, it is possible to triple current productivity in the medium term. “We can increase the transit of goods up to 20 million tonnes,” he concluded.