Baku, Azerbaijan, May 25
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
Iran plans to launch a new transit route from Persian Gulf to the Europe which will be an alternative to Turkey path, Deputy Managing Director of Iranian Railway Hossein Ashouri said.
Considering the recent tension between Ankara and Moscow, Iran has proposed a new railway transit route to the regional countries which will link Persian Gulf to the Europe via the Black Sea, Ashouri said, Iran's IRIB news agency reported May 25.
Iran hold meetings with Azerbaijan and Georgia on the issue, he said, adding that based on the proposal, goods will be transported from Persian Gulf into Azerbaijan and thereon to Georgia by railway and from there will be shipped from Batumi and Poti ports to the ports in Bulgaria and Romania and then to the rest of Europe.
Ashouri also said that while Rasht-Astara railway, located in Iran is not completed yet, the goods will be transported by roads in this part of the route.
Replacing the Turkey route with the new route will decrease the transportation period from 45 days to 23 days, he added.
Agreements were made on tariffs and transportation period from Mumbai port in India to Georgian ports, Ahouri said, without unveiling further details.
The new corridor has no serious alternatives, he said, adding trade volume between Russia and India is high and currently transportation between the two parties is carried on by sea routes.
The new route will be in favor of the two countries, he said, adding negotiations were held with Azerbaijani and Russian officials on extending a section of the new route to Moscow and from there to Finland.
It should be noted that Taleh Ziyadov, the director general of the Baku International Sea Trade Port, addressing the CIS Global Business Forum in Dubai last February, proposed to link the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas to Helsinki, by railway.