DOQARUN, (Iran): An area that was once little more than a deserted wasteland between Iran and Afghanistan is becoming a thriving border crossing where a new brick building houses a customs office.

Doqarun, one of four border crossings between Iran and Afghanistan, has not only seen a steady flow of Afghans, anxious to return to their homeland after nearly two decades in exile, but also trucks and trailers as some semblance of business-life returns to the war-torn country.

Iran is eager to avail of the international trading opportunities posed by the 900-kilometre border with Afghanistan, said Mohammad Siadat, the main co-ordinator for Iran-Afghan trade and the organiser of an international trade fair to promote Afghanistan, which will be held in the Iranian provincial capital of Mashhad in October.

The Iranian private sector is looking for tri- or multilateral cooperation with international companies in Afghanistan.

The chamber of commerce in the border province of Khora-ssan has published a manual, compiled by a group of Iranian trade experts, outlining the huge potential for trade with eastern Afghanistan.

Continuing political instability in Afghanistan has so far curbed trade, despite international aid.

Only two of Iran’s four border crossings with Afghanistan are active, Doqarun and Milak, and Doqarun is the only one with a customs office. Other obstacles, such as under-developed infrastructure, also thwart business opportunities.

“The first problem in Afghanistan is the lack of proper asphalt roads making transportation of goods almost impossible,” said Shafei, the head of the chamber of commerce in Khorassan and an engineer by profession.

Iran’s top priority is to build an asphalt road between Doqa-run and the eastern Afghan city of Herat. Already, 85 of the total 130 kilometres are complete and the project is due to be finished by the end of the current year.

Iran is also considering building a railway connecting Herat via Iran’s national rail network to the outside world.

Afghanistan needs to build premises for offices and retail outlets and Shafei said he hopes Afghan builders will turn to Iran for their supply of construction materials.

Iranian-manufactured soft drinks are gradually finding a market in eastern parts of Afghanistan but in other areas China and India have a stronger influence on tastes.—dpa