BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16. Advisor to the Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran Amin Taraffo has recently proposed to establish an Iran-Georgia-Azerbaijan transit corridor within the framework of TRACECA, Trend reports.
Commenting on the issue, transport expert Rauf Agamirzayev said that the Iran-Azerbaijan-Georgia route connects the ports of the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea.
"The road infrastructure projects implemented in Azerbaijan in recent years make transportation along this route even more attractive. The roads built in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur will further expand the existing capabilities of this network. If earlier it was possible to organize transportation via Astara and Bilasuvar, now, with the commissioning of the bridge being built in Aghband, from where it is possible to follow the Horadiz-Jabrail-Fuzuli-Aghdam-Georgia highway, as well as Khudafarin-Lachin, Lachin-Kalbajar, and the new highway passing under the Murovdagh mountain, this will become the shortest route for road transportation and will increase our transit potential.
It should also be taken into account that Azerbaijan has a railway infrastructure along the border. At present, it is also possible to organize multimodal transportation. That is, it's possible to carry out transportation in certain directions, from Rasht to Astara or from Jolfa to Aghband, as well as by road and railways.
In the future, after the commissioning of the Araz corridor, it will be possible to transport a larger volume of cargo by rail from the ports of the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea. Thus, Azerbaijan becomes an even more important country, regardless of the directions in the region," he explained.
According to another transport expert Aslan Asadov, Azerbaijan's strategic location allows for the transportation of transit cargo.
"Azerbaijan has both mountainous and flat areas. Short distances and road infrastructure, including repaired roads and compliance with standards, are an important factor," he said.
Speaking about the benefits for Iran, the expert noted that the proposed corridor can bring additional dividends and profits to Iran by delivering cargo to the population of the Black Sea coast through Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Therefore, Iran is interested in this project and is demonstrating its capabilities for its implementation.
"In addition, the establishment of communication between Iran and Russia is possible directly through Azerbaijan. This is due to the fact that the roads passing through Azerbaijan have a special advantage, in particular for freight transport," he pointed out.
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