IRNA – Managing Director of Aras Free Zone Organization Mohsen Nariman referred to 105% increase in exports from Aras Free Trade Zone during the last year, saying $518m worth of goods have been exported to 10 countries.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Nariman said that most of the commodities were exported to Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Kazakhstan and China.

He added that Aras exports consist of definitive exports, re-exports and exports of mainland.

Definitive exports were $126m last year which experienced 36% growth, he noted.

He added that re-exports were $145m last year, adding that it had 83.3% growth.

The mainland exports worth $159m registering 39% rise.

Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Gholamreza Ansari said Aras Free Zone, especially Nordooz is regarded as Iran’s only gateway to Eurasia.

"Aras Free Zone plays a major role and has a good geographical situation for establishing trade with Eurasia," Ansari said.

Aras Free Zone is an environment ready for the bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation between Iran and Russia and the countries of the South Caucasus. Aras Free Zone with an area of 51,000 hectares of land, relying on its fully-prepared investment infrastructure (facilities, including water, electricity, gas, and the development of connecting roads), as one of the Turkish investors said while visiting this Zone, is like a prepared cake that any country is willing to win a significant share of it.