His itinerary included the Maku Free Zone, the Sari-Su border market, Bazargan Customs and border terminal, and the Serv border terminal. He also met with local business representatives to discuss ways to expand foreign trade, facilitate cross-border transportation, and improve the province’s logistics infrastructure.
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance’s SHADA news service, Madanizadeh arrived in the province on Thursday, October 29, at the head of a delegation comprising ministry deputies, senior economic officials and heads of affiliated organizations. He was received by West Azerbaijan Governor-General Reza Rahmani and provincial officials.
The visit was aimed at assessing the province’s commercial, economic and logistical potential, identifying obstacles to cross-border trade and examining measures to strengthen the infrastructure supporting foreign trade.

Reviewing Iran-Türkiye trade potential at Sari-Su border market
The minister began his program in the Maku Free Zone with a visit to the Sari-Su border market, a joint trade exchange center between Iran and Türkiye.
Accompanied by the governor-general, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), the secretary of the High Council of Free and Special Economic Zones, and other national and provincial officials, Madanizadeh reviewed the center’s operational capacity, current activities, and obstacles to expanding bilateral trade.
The discussions covered the market’s operations, measures already undertaken by the Iranian and Turkish sides, and possible solutions to existing constraints.
Activating the full commercial potential of Sari-Su could contribute to expanding border trade and strengthening economic ties between Iran and Türkiye.
Madanizadeh described West Azerbaijan as a province with considerable potential for trade and economic engagement with neighboring countries, identifying the development of economic diplomacy as one of the government's priorities.

Assessing customs and logistics infrastructure at Bazargan
The minister subsequently inspected different sections of Bazargan Customs, including its passenger and freight terminals and logistics facilities.
The visit, attended by the provincial governor-general, members of parliament and economic and customs officials, focused on the movement of transit trucks, cargo handling, customs clearance procedures and passenger traffic.
Madanizadeh also spoke directly with truck drivers and passengers to hear their concerns, particularly regarding vehicle waiting times, customs procedures and obstacles affecting cross-border movement.
He stressed the need to accelerate the completion of infrastructure projects, improve the operational efficiency of border terminals and streamline export and import procedures.
Located on Iran’s border with Türkiye, the Bazargan crossing is one of the country's key gateways for international trade and transit. Addressing operational bottlenecks there could facilitate commercial exchanges and enhance Iran’s transit capacity.

Visit to Sarv border terminal and review of traffic constraints
After visiting the Maku Free Zone, Sari-Su border market and Bazargan Customs, Madanizadeh traveled to Urmia, where he continued his program with an inspection of the Sarv border terminal and its adjoining border market.
Accompanied by the governor-general and a few of Urmia's parliamentary representatives, the minister examined the terminal's service capacity, infrastructure challenges and the concerns raised by passengers and drivers.
The discussions focused on improving terminal management, upgrading services, developing infrastructure and removing obstacles to cross-border traffic.
Madanizadeh pledged to convey the issues and requests raised during the visit to the government for follow-up and resolution.

12 resolutions to remove trade barriers; talks with Türkiye planned
An important outcome of the minister's provincial visit was the establishment of a follow-up process for addressing the problems and bottlenecks identified during the field inspections.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 93rd meeting of the West Azerbaijan Government-Private Sector Dialogue Council, Madanizadeh said issues concerning exports, imports, transit, passenger movement and cargo transportation at the province's border crossings had been examined and consolidated.
He said the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, the Maku Free Zone Organization, the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, the Ministry of Interior and the West Azerbaijan Governor-General's Office would coordinate efforts to remove obstacles and facilitate commercial activities.
Referring to traffic congestion and long queues of trucks at the Bazargan and Sarv crossings, the minister also announced that he would pursue the issue during his upcoming visit to Türkiye and hold discussions with Turkish officials.
He emphasized the need for coordination between the two countries, noting that facilitating the movement of international transport fleets requires cooperation between the relevant authorities on both sides of the border.
Madanizadeh confirmed that 12 resolutions had been adopted to address the province's economic challenges, adding that their implementation would be followed up at the ministry's headquarters in Tehran.
 

Support war-damaged businesses
At the conclusion of his visit, Madanizadeh chaired a meeting of the Coordination Council of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance's affiliated organizations in West Azerbaijan.
The meeting reviewed issues concerning the ministry's provincial agencies. Madanizadeh proposed establishing a provincial reconstruction task force in cooperation with the provincial Department of Industry, Mine and Trade and with the participation of all affiliated economic agencies.
The proposed task force would examine ways to rebuild businesses damaged during the war and coordinate the capacities of relevant economic institutions to address the affected enterprises' needs.
According to the discussions, the task force's proposals and resolutions will be forwarded to the relevant headquarters within the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance for further examination and follow-up.