BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 15. North-South corridor capacity will reach 15 million tons, Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at the "Russia — Islamic World: KazanForum-2026" International Economic Forum, Trend reports.
He emphasized that Azerbaijan is actively modernizing the infrastructure of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which continues to function reliably and has proven its competitiveness despite current geopolitical tensions.
According to Mustafayev, infrastructure expansion projects are currently underway in accordance with agreements reached with Russia. These projects are slated for completion by 2028, with the goal of increasing annual capacity first to 5 million tons, and eventually to 15 million tons.
"The terminal in Astara on the Azerbaijani-Iranian border and the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway section are of particular importance, as they will significantly enhance the corridor's competitiveness by providing direct access to the Persian Gulf," he noted.
