DUSHANBE, February 22, 2012, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan''s Foreign Ministry says two Iranian drivers, blocked from leaving Tajikistan for nearly a year, have now left the country, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Services reported on February 21.

Suleiman Beki and Abdullah Karbalai Hosseini had been hired by a private Iranian company to transport commercial goods to Tajikistan.

However, upon their arrival in Tajikistan last year, the two drivers were not allowed to return to Iran due to a commercial dispute between the Iranian firm and its Tajik partners.

The drivers were allowed to leave Tajikistan after the Iranian Embassy in Dushanbe raised the question with Tajikistan''s Foreign Ministry and customs officials.

The ministry blamed the incident on the private firms'' disregard of customs regulations.