Morteza Jafari, deputy Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Company, headed the Iranian delegation in the meeting. He said that participants discussed railway tariffs for cargos from Bandar Abbas to Moscow.
He noted that adding Chabahar Port to the North-South Corridor was discussed in the meeting and ‘good decisions’ have been taken in this regard.
Delegations from Iran, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia and India had participated in the event, according to Trend News Agency.
The main goal of the North-South Transport Corridor is, first of all, to reduce the delivery time of goods transported from Russia, northern and western Europe, as well as the Gulf countries, reduce transportation costs and increase the functionality of the corridor.
The delivery time of goods along the current route (Suez Canal) is 45-60 days, and this period is expected to decrease to 14-20 days along the North-South Transport Corridor. Speaking about the historical roots and the modern development of friendly relations between the countries, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Javid Gurbanov noted the economic importance of this corridor, bringing together different geographical areas.
Javid Gurbanov also noted that within the framework of the International North-South Transport Corridor project, the Azerbaijani side has fulfilled its tasks. From the Astara station to the state border of Iran, 8.3 kilometers of railway were laid and a railway bridge was built across the Astara River. At the same time, construction of a 35-hectare railway station and terminals for cargo unloading are ongoing in Iran's Astara.
In March 2018, the first phase of the project for connecting the Astara (Iran)-Astara (Azerbaijan) railway and the cargo terminal was commissioned, and the foundation of the grain terminal was laid.
On March 6, 2019, the opening of the Gazvin-Rasht-Astara (Iran) - Astara (Azerbaijan) section, which is the main part of the North-South Transport Corridor, took place. In the near future, the Rasht-Astara (Iran) - Astara (Azerbaijan) railway line will be built and commissioned. All this will strengthen the transit, trade and economic potential of the countries.
MNA/PR/IRN 83573498