The issue was discussed at a meeting of the management council of the Dogharoun Free Zone, attended by provincial and local officials, investors and senior managers of the zone, according to Iran’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance.

Participants reviewed the region’s economic and trade potential and stressed the need to make greater use of Dogharoun’s border location to expand commercial exchanges with neighboring countries, particularly Afghanistan.

Hossein Forouzan, secretary of Iran’s High Council of Free Zones and Special Economic Zones, said the economic potential of Dogharoun could be fully realized through coordinated efforts by government agencies and other institutions operating in the area.

He said the creation of the Dogharoun and Sarakhs free zones had completed the chain of major economic capacities in Razavi Khorasan Province, adding that the two zones could serve as a model for other newly established free zones across the country.

Forouzan also stressed the importance of a long-term approach to economic policymaking, saying decisions taken by free-zone authorities today should focus on building sustainable infrastructure capable of supporting economic activity and investment in the years ahead.

Lowering export costs, he said, is essential to expanding economic activity in free zones. Reducing the cost of exporting goods would encourage producers to enter international markets and help boost exports, Forouzan said.

He also called for greater transparency in the allocation of land within free zones, saying land should be offered through public tenders or calls for proposals, with the aim of facilitating the establishment of small and large industrial projects. Private-sector proposals should be assessed based on their capacity and economic value, he added.

“For free zones to fulfill their role, they must act as facilitators of economic activity and trade,” Forouzan said, emphasizing the need to remove administrative barriers and accelerate procedures to encourage greater participation by private companies, producers and other economic operators.

The governor of Taybad County highlighted Dogharoun’s strategic location, saying the free zone could play a significant role in the economic development of Razavi Khorasan Province.

He said the installation of X-ray inspection systems and round-the-clock customs operations could accelerate cross-border trade and help increase the volume of commercial activity at the Dogharoun border.

Salari, a member of Iran’s parliament representing Taybad, also stressed the importance of developing the Dogharoun Free Zone, saying its expansion could not only strengthen the economy of Taybad and Razavi Khorasan but also contribute to economic development along Iran’s eastern corridor.

He said Dogharoun has significant potential to expand trade with neighboring countries, particularly Afghanistan, and called for coordinated action by government agencies to accelerate the launch and full activation of the free zone.