BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 27. The Astrakhan region of Russia has invited Iranian companies to implement projects to develop the infrastructure of the Astrakhan port special economic zone and open their own production facilities on its territory, the region’s governor Igor Babushkin said on Telegram, Trend reports.
According to Babushkin, at a meeting with Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji, the parties discussed cooperation on the development of the international North-South transport corridor, as well as the creation of a port economic zone in the mentioned region.
"Iran is one of the leading partners of the Astrakhan region of Russia. We closely cooperate in the areas of trade, transport, logistics and agriculture. More than 90 percent of all cargo passing through Astrakhan ports goes in the Iranian direction. Cargo from Russia is also delivered through Astrakhan to Iran by rail in transit through the territory of Azerbaijan," the governor noted.
In the area of the port of Olya, a modern transport and logistics hub will be built, consisting of container and other terminals, which will become the main point for transshipment of goods coming from Russia along the North-South corridor, he further said.
"By 2024, the volume of cargo transshipment by container way will increase by eight million tons per year," added Babushkin.