TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s Ambassador to Moscow Kazzem Jalali conferred with CEO of the Russian Railway Mikhail Pavlov on ways to accelerate the implementation of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
Jalali and Pavlov exchanged views on removing obstacles in the way of construction of the transport corridor among Iran, Russia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Iranian envoy said that Russian and Iran have a very strong railway connection and that the two parties hold constant discussions in a bid to expedite the implementation of the international project.
Pavlov, for his part, attached importance to the expansion of cooperation with Iran’s Railway.
The INSTC is going to link Northern Europe to Eastern Asia via Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia. The initial goal of the project is the annual transit of five million tons of commodities.
It is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for transporting freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.
Once the corridor becomes operational, it is will enable the countries to transit 10 million tons of goods and 3 million passengers per year.
In relevant remarks in November, Jalali hailed the position of Rasht-Astara railway in the economy of his country, stressing that it will link the East to the West.
Jalali made the remarks virtually at the conference on the role of Eurasia in the geopolitics of free trade zones on Tuesday November 17 and noted that the Rasht-Astara railway will develop Iran-Russia economic ties.
He emphasized that the railway, besides strengthening of exporting goods to Russia and Europe at a reasonable price and time, will be an appropriate corridor for transport of goods from Eastern countries to Europe.
The envoy added that Russia has realized the importance of Rasht-Astara railway and is determined to use this route in the future.