BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 28. Turkmenistan has
completed the modernization of the Serakhs Avtoyollary customs post
on its border with Iran to facilitate faster cross-border trade and
transit.
The update was announced in a press release published by the
State Customs Service of Turkmenistan on July 28.
"The project has created conditions for increasing the
checkpoint's capacity," the State Customs Service said in the press
release.
According to the agency, the modernization included the
renovation of buildings and infrastructure as well as the
introduction of a digital management system to monitor and record
the movement of vehicles and goods. The upgraded facilities are
expected to strengthen customs control while accelerating border
clearance procedures for freight traffic.
Located on the Turkmen-Iranian border at one of the country's
principal international transport crossings, the Serakhs
Avtoyollary customs post serves cargo flows moving along several
international transport corridors and provides access to
northeastern Iran, including the major commercial center of
Mashhad.
The State Customs Service said the project forms part of
Turkmenistan's broader program to modernize border crossings and
expand the country's transit potential. According to the press
release, since the beginning of this year, the Garabogaz and Artyk
customs posts have also been upgraded and put into operation, the
service added.
Improved capacity at the checkpoint is expected to support
freight traffic along routes connecting Central Asia with Iranian
markets and seaports, while also reinforcing Turkmenistan's role as
a regional transit country.
The border upgrade also follows heightened attention to overland
transport links through Iran after U.S. strikes earlier this month
damaged the Aq Tekeh Khan railway bridge in Iran's Golestan
Province. According to Iranian media, the bridge forms part of the
rail corridor linking Iran with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, China,
and Russia, underscoring the strategic importance of alternative
transport infrastructure connecting Central Asia with Middle
Eastern markets.
Meanwhile, the announcement came as Iran's Minister of Roads and
Urban Development, Farzaneh Sadegh, visited Turkmenistan for talks
focused on expanding transport and transit cooperation. During the
visit, the two sides discussed increasing freight flows, developing
cross-border infrastructure, and strengthening connectivity along
regional transport corridors linking Central Asia with the Persian
Gulf. The timing underscores both countries' efforts to facilitate
growing trade and transit through their shared border.
