Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.28
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: The transit agreement which has been signed between Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Oman will take effect by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21), ISNA quoted Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization official Sadollah Abdollahi as saying on Jan. 28.
Qatar has also expressed interest in joining the transit agreement, he added.
He also said that India, Afghanistan, and Iran are working out the signing of another agreement to boost port and transit cooperation.
Turkmenistan and Iran with the participation of Kazakhstan have already begun the implementation of a trilateral project for creation of a new North-South rail corridor.
On the recreated transport and trade system, road cargo will be transferred to the Gulf countries, Indian Ocean, Europe and other regions without delay.
According to preliminary estimates, the annual volume transit cargo transportation will be 10-12 million tons.
The agreement on the establishment of an international transport and transit corridor between the governments of Iran, Oman, Qatar, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan was signed in Ashgabat on April 25, 2011 at the level of the foreign ministers of these countries.
The new corridor will allow the Central Asian countries to be connected with the ports of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman on the most optimal route.