BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. Iran and Azerbaijan are among the countries with a fundamental role in the North-South International Transport Corridor, Saeed Khatibzadeh, Deputy Minister of Iranian Foreign Affairs and Head of the Institute for Political and International Studies, said in an interview with Trend reports.
Khatibzadeh underscored that the corridor is a key player in the game of regional transit and freight transportation. He pointed out that the corridor would be a game changer in smoothing the wheels for regional cargo shipments between the two countries.
Khatibzadeh further stated that the cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan could enable both nations to actively participate in freight transportation from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea.
The foundation of the ‘International North-South Transport Corridor’ was laid on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement signed between Russia, Iran, and India on September 12, 2000. In total, 13 countries have ratified the agreement, including Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Russia, Türkiye, etc. The aim of setting up a corridor is to cut down the delivery time of cargo from India to Russia, along with Northern and Western Europe. The delivery time on the current route is dragging its feet at over six weeks; however, it's anticipated to be trimmed down to three weeks through the International North-South Transport Corridor.
To facilitate the integration of Azerbaijan Railways with the Iranian rail infrastructure within the designated corridor, the Qazvin-Rasht rail link, spanning 175 kilometers, was officially commissioned on March 6, 2019. The Rasht-Astara rail corridor is slated for development within the geopolitical confines of the Iranian territory.
The North-South Corridor has three directions in the territory of Iran. Eastern direction: Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries; Middle direction: other countries across the Caspian Sea; Western direction: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Eastern European countries.
To note, on May 17, 2023, Russia and Iran signed an agreement to build the Rasht-Astara railroad line in Gilan Province, northern Iran. The 163-kilometer-long Rasht-Astara railway line will house nine stations. The completion of this railroad will enhance the North-South international corridor and connect Iran's railroad network to the Caucasus countries, Russia, and Northern European countries. Under the agreement, the Russian side is to spend 1.6 billion euros on the construction of this railroad. This railroad is planned to be built and completed within 48 months.
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