*Iranian Minister Urges Time-Bound Action Plans for Border Facilitation and Infrastructure Resilience at ECO Transport Summit*

Reiterating the imperative to safeguard civilian infrastructure and ensure the uninterrupted flow of regional transit, Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development proposed the formulation of time-bound, operational action plans to eliminate border bottlenecks, expand railway cooperation and bolster the resilience of regional transit corridors.

According to the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, speaking at the 14th Meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Transport Ministers in Kazakhstan, H.E. Farzaneh Sadegh expressed her gratitude for the host nation's hospitality. Her Excellency stated, "Due to its exceptional geographic positioning, the ECO region possesses the immense potential to evolve into an integrated network of road, rail, and maritime routes—a network capable of fortifying connectivity across Central Asia, West Asia, the Caucasus and international waters."

Recalling the resolutions of the 13th ECO Transport Ministers' Meeting in Tehran, she underscored the necessity of evaluating the implementation of past agreements, identifying existing impediments, and defining operational priorities. "This summit must culminate in concrete, time-bound, and measurable decisions aimed at advancing regional cooperation," she asserted.

*Safeguarding Infrastructure and Ensuring Corridor Continuity*

Addressing the damages inflicted upon transport infrastructure amid recent regional geopolitical tensions, the Minister noted, "Disruptions in any segment of the region's transport network, regardless of location, inevitably escalate transit times and costs, thereby compromising the security of global supply chains." Minister Sadegh stressed that protecting civilian infrastructure, securing transit routes, and maintaining seamless transport flows are shared interests among all ECO member states. She called upon the ECO Secretariat to assess the impacts of security disruptions on regional corridors and present pragmatic solutions to enhance network resilience.

*Facilitating Road Transport and Developing Railway Synergies*

Minister Sadegh identified the facilitation of cross-border road fleet movements as a top priority for regional collaboration. She advocated for reducing truck dwell times, streamlining customs formalities, harmonizing transport documentation, and promoting seamless data exchange among border authorities. 

Highlighting the successful revival and operation of the ECO freight train along the Turkiye-Iran-Turkmenistan route, Her Excellency framed this achievement as a foundational step for broader railway cooperation. Noting that engineers successfully repaired damaged railway bridges along this route within 72 hours, stressed the critical importance of technical readiness and the uninterrupted continuity of regional rail links. Furthermore, she highlighted the Almaty-Tehran-Istanbul rail connection as a strategic opportunity for regional trade expansion, proposing the establishment of a defined mechanism to resolve tariff, customs, technical, and operational barriers.

*Chabahar Port: A Strategic Gateway to Open Seas*

The Minister highlighted providing landlocked nations with access to international waters as a primary objective of ECO cooperation. Pointing to the strategic capacities of Chabahar Port and Iran's other southern ports, she identified the impending connection of Chabahar to the national railway grid as a pivotal factor in bridging land and maritime transport, diversifying trade routes, and significantly reducing transit costs.

*Advocating for a Joint, Time-Bound Action Plan*

In her concluding remarks, Minister Sadegh proposed that the ECO Secretariat, in collaboration with member states, compile a comprehensive report on the execution of previous resolutions. She further urged the drafting of a time-bound agenda to facilitate road transport, harmonize border and customs procedures, develop multimodal s

ervices, and prioritize strategies for safeguarding civilian infrastructure and enhancing corridor resilience.