At a meeting in Yerevan, Faroud Asgari, head of Iran’s Customs Administration (IRICA), and Eduard Hakobyan, his Armenian counterpart, discussed measures to cut red tape and boost trade volumes. Plans include electronic data exchange, regular joint inspections at border posts, and mutual recognition of “authorised economic operators”—trusted firms granted simplified customs procedures. Both sides also pledged to finalise a “green corridor” scheme designed to accelerate the movement of goods.
Armenia outlined a development project for its Meghri customs facility, to be financed through public-private partnerships. The upgrade is expected to significantly expand capacity at the border crossing with Iran. Early signs of progress are already visible: daily truck traffic through the Nordooz–Meghri checkpoint has risen from 450 to 550 vehicles in recent weeks, thanks to streamlined procedures.
Senior officials from both customs agencies attended the talks, including Fatemeh Etemad-Moghadam, director of international cooperation at IRICA, and Changiz Khanari, acting head of transit. The Nordooz crossing in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province remains the countries’ only land border and serves as a strategic entry point to the Eurasian Economic Union.