Top officials from the foreign affairs, transport, energy ministries, and customs authorities of Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan are set to meet soon to discuss the progress of constructing the Rasht-Astara railway, a key segment of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali announced this development during a media briefing.
“We plan to hold a trilateral meeting in the near future, with the participation of foreign ministers, transport ministers, energy ministers, and customs heads from Iran, Russia, and Azerbaijan,” Jalali stated.
The ambassador added that the agreement for this project is expected to be signed by March 2025.
On May 17, 2023, Russia and Iran signed a deal to jointly build the Rasht-Astara railway, with Moscow providing Tehran with an intergovernmental loan of €1.3 billion for the project, which has an estimated total cost of €1.6 billion. Construction of the Rasht-Astara section will be a collaborative effort between Moscow and Tehran, while the Astara-Astara connection (linking the Iranian and Azerbaijani cities of the same name) will involve cooperation between Moscow, Tehran, and Baku.
The Intergovernmental Agreement on creating the 7,200-kilometer North-South Corridor was signed by Russia, India, and Iran in 2000 and later expanded to include 14 participating countries. Russia and Iran envision the corridor as an alternative to the Suez Canal, significantly reducing cargo transit times across Eurasia. The corridor's western land route runs through Azerbaijan, the eastern route passes through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, while the water route traverses the Caspian Sea.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on TASS materials