Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 2
By Anakhanum Idayatova – Trend:
The trilateral meeting between the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran in Baku is an important marker in further construction and operationalization of the North-South project, Theodore Karasik, political analyst and senior advisor at Gulf State Analytics, Washington DC, told Trend Aug. 2.
Karasik said this meeting will give an impetus and speed up the implementation of this transportation project.
He noted that the project is not only an economic, but also geopolitical, and it requires specific discussions and clarifications.
“Major portions of the project are already in place but there is more work to be done especially with the Iranian segment,” said the expert.
He added also that the presidential-level meeting needs to be addressing a salient issue now: pushing forward the construction of Iranian trunk and discussions on transit fees and customs.
The meeting of Azerbaijani, Iranian and Russian presidents is scheduled for Aug. 8 in Baku.
The North-South transportation corridor is meant to connect Northern Europe to South-East Asia. It will serve as a link connecting the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia.
At the initial stage, the North-South corridor will transport 5 million tons of cargo per year with further expansion of transportation to over 10 million tons.
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