Iran and Afghanistan to develop three new piers at Anzali port

Iran + Afghanistan JV to build three piers at Caspian port: An undisclosed Iranian company and Afghan company have inked a USD 50 mn preliminary agreement to build three piers at the Caspian Port of Anzali, Iranian state-aligned Tasnim News Agency reports. Contracts are expected to be finalized within the next three months, the news agency quotes acting head of the Anzali freezone Akbar Niazi as saying.

Details are scant: The Afghan firm will pour USD 50 mn into the construction of three piers, according to the news agency, which did not clarify the ownership structure of the JV. Besides the three months, no other timeline for construction or detailed specifications relating to the construction has been provided. The agreement comes as a way to strengthen the transit, logistics and infrastructure of this sector.

A way to attract FDI: The piers come as part of Anzali freezone’s plans to attract foreign investments, and incentive packages, Iran’s Freezones High Council Secretary General Hojatollah Abdolmaleki told Tehran Times in an interview.

About the Anzali freezone: The Anzalifreezone area, situated in the southern part of the Caspian sea, is split across three different areas comprising 9.4k hectares, including a freezone, an industrial park, and trade area, according to their website. Anazali, which is situated on the Caspian sea, provides Iran an important gateway to connections with its northern neighbors, particularly Russia, according to the Iran Freezone website.