The coordination for their return is done by Iranian ambassadors in the named countries, reports say.
As reported, after long negotiations with the Turkish government, Iranian Trucks have left the Romanian border and passed Bulgarian borders into the Turkish territory. Presently, 19 Iranian trucks and 20 drivers are headed to Iran, escorted by Turkish police.
Some seven Iranian trucks with their 13 drivers, after a long time of getting stuck in Italian ports, have been transported by ship to Greece-Turkey joint border, Ipsala border. Negotiations still continue with Turkey in this regard.
Preparations are going on to return an Iranian driver who was stuck in Romania. He is hoped to be back from Romania through Bulgaria and then Turkey to Iran.
The Spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Abbas Mousavi said in late March that the Ministry has launched efforts to settle the problems that Iranian truck drivers may be facing in the other countries, as in Europe, amid coronavirus concerns.
“In the wake of the outbreak of coronavirus in the world, Europe has now emerged as an epicenter of the disease, and strict regulations have been introduced along the borders of the European countries, which also apply to the European citizens.”
“Considering such circumstances, our Embassies in Europe and in all regional countries and neighbors have been active and on the alert since a month ago, and have even presented experts with definite telephone numbers (to answer the calls) round the clock to pursue the cases.”
“Specifically about those trucks, consultations have been in progress both at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarters and at the Embassies until this morning immediately after receiving information about their (trucks’) exact location, and consultations have been made with the customs authorities of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey to facilitate the movement of them (the trucks),” Mousavi said.
“In addition, queues of trucks belonging to various countries have been formed for kilometers at the border crossings of those countries,” he added.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mohammad Javad Zarif) has also talked about this subject specifically in his telephone conversations, including with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria on March 20,” he added.
The spokesperson finally advised the Iranian truck drivers traveling to the other countries to immediately call the Iranian Embassies in case they encounter an abnormal situation (not if they are stranded in long queues at the customs of the other countries as part of ordinary bureaucracy).
MNA/83737704