ALMATY An Almaty-Tashkent-Tehran-Istanbul passenger train is to be launched soon, Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Abodorrahim Govahi said here Friday.

After meeting with the Kazakh minister of transport and communications, the Iranian ECO secretary general also said that following the elimination of tariff barriers the China-Persian Gulf train will soon be launched too.

The China-Central Asia-Bandar Abbas cargo train is expected to facilitate transfer of goods to and from scheduled destinations.

The secretary general further said that in the upcoming meeting of ECO experts the issue of "one tariff" will be discussed.

ECO transport and customs experts are to meet in April and communications and posts officials of the organization in May in Almaty, Govahi added.

During the aforesaid meetings issues related to road and railway transportation will be discussed as well as finalized.

Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, the Azerbaijan Republic, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are the 10 member states of the regional economic organization -- ECO.

In the meantime, Kazakhastan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Friday in Astana called for further activation of the ECO Secretariat and a determination of the priorities of the organization with respect to its functions.

The president's remark were made at a meeting with ECO secretary general.

During the meeting, Gavahi briefed the Kazakh president on his meetings with the Kazakh prime minister and a number of the country's ministers.

(IRNA)