BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 7
By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:
A highway is being constructed between Iran’s Astara city and Azerbaijan’s Astara city on both sides of the state border between the two countries, Iranian Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Kheirollah Khademi said.
“The length of this highway is about 1,3 kilometers,” the deputy minister added, Trend reports referring to the Young Journalists Club. "The transit of products and the transportation of citizens between Iran and Azerbaijan is one of the main tasks. In this regard, a new border terminal has been built outside the city."
The deputy minister also clarified the situation with the Rasht-Astara railway.
“As the railway passes through the cultivated areas in some places, these territories must be bought from farmers,” Khademi said.
“In accordance with the initial estimates, 60-70 trillion rials (about $1.4-1.6 billion) were envisaged for this purpose,” Khademi added. “Besides the annual budget, other sources of funding are envisaged to accelerate the pace of construction due to the impossibility of allocating these funds during 1-2 years.”
Another railway which will stretch 163 kilometers is planned to be constructed in Iran within the North-South Transport Corridor. The goods will be transited from the Indian port of Delhi to the Finnish port of Helsinki after the construction of the railway. The authorities expect the transit volume in Iran to increase up to 50 million tons thanks to this railway.