On July 3, 2024, at the Lotfabad customs post (Khorasan Razavi province, Iran), the Second meeting of border agencies of Turkmenistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran was held with the participation of representatives of the embassies of the two countries. From the Turkmen side, the meeting was attended by representatives of the customs, border and migration services, the Turkmenavtougly and Turkmendemiryollary Agencies. From the Iranian side the participants were the Lotfabad customs post head and staff, the head of the border post, the heads of the relevant departments of the municipality of Razavi Khorasan province, and representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on passport and visa issues.
At the border, the Turkmen delegation was met by the Iranian delegation led by the head of the border service of the city of Derregez, Khorasan Razavi province.
The visit program included a memorial ceremony for Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who died in a helicopter crash. At the site of the Lotfabad customs post, with the participation of delegations of the two countries, a new monument was unveiled and members of the delegations paid tribute to the memory of the victims.
Then, the Turkmen delegation was acquainted with the infrastructure of the Lotfabad checkpoint. Iranian customs officers showed how the electronic customs clearance system works and introduced them to the operation of the X-ray machine installed for the inspection of large trucks. The delegations also inspected the parking area for trucks and the railway that runs through this checkpoint.
Afterward, the Second meeting of border agencies of Turkmenistan and Iran took place in the conference hall of the Lotfabad customs point. Parties discussed the issue of extending the working hours of the Artyk-Lotfabad customs posts in the period from November to January, development of a mechanism for mutual exchange of data and expedited visa processing for truck drivers of both sides. The parties also considered the possibilities of the Lotfabad railway crossing.
During the meeting, the representative of the State Customs Service informed the participants about the entry into force of the rules on preliminary information, according to which carriers, from June 1, 2024, can submit information to the customs authorities about goods before their importation into the territory of Turkmenistan. A meeting participant from the Turkmendemiryollary agency presented the Iranian side with a presentation on the schedule and prices of rail transportation.