MASHAD, Khorassan Province -- Deputy head of Khorassan province border markets, Ali Rasoulian, here on Saturday said that border cooperatives trade exchanges at provincial border markets promote export.

Rasoulian told IRNA that border cooperatives currently conduct transactions via customs offices which create some difficulties.

"Neighboring countries with which we have common border markets and we are currently exporting goods to, have declared their interest in exporting their products to Iran," he added.

The official said that given the low volume of import from countries having common border market with Iran, export of Iranian goods to those states causes some problem.

"If the draft bill on the commercial activity of the border cooperatives, which are based at border markets, and import of goods from those states against export of Iranian products by the cooperatives is ratified, export to those countries will develop," he noted.

Rasoulian reiterated that according to the cabinet proposal, against export of goods worth rls 4.4 million, border cooperatives are permitted to import products of an equivalent amount.

"Currently, such goods are imported via customs irrespective of their low quantity. However, once the proposed strategy is applied to the border markets, the trade partners will be satisfied with promotion of export in their countries," he noted.

The official said that it will also reduce the volume of the products smuggled through borders.

Six common border markets with the neighboring states of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan are currently operational in Khorassan province.

According to statistics, in the first quarter of the current Iranian year (started March 21), trade exchanges at the provincial border markets amounted to dlrs 18 million.

The same statistics further show that the hard currency share of the border markets in Khorassan province in trade exchanges stands at dlrs 60 million.