BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 10. The Astara border checkpoint between Iran and Azerbaijan, plays an important role in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), said Alihossein Zulghadri, director general of Iran's Astara Customs Office, Trend reports.
He made the remark during a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart at the Astara border.
According to Zulghadri, the two countries can make maximum use of the opportunities created by Astara border checkpoint.
The director general added that the new bridge over Astarachay River will naturally increase the number of trucks crossing the border and simplify the passage of trucks.
The foundation of the new bridge over the Astarachay River on border between Iran and Azerbaijan, was laid on January 25, 2022. The bridge will be 97.5 meters long and 30.5 meters wide, with three spans, four lanes, with two additional lanes for backup traffic. It will also have two pedestrian crossings, each 2.5 meters wide.
Meanwhile, the foundation of the ‘International North-South Transport Corridor’ was laid on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement signed between Russia, Iran, and India on September 12, 2000. In total, 13 countries have ratified the agreement, including Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Russia, Türkiye, etc.
The purpose of creating a corridor is to reduce the delivery time of cargo from India to Russia, as well as to North and West Europe. Delivery time on the current route is more than 6 weeks, it is expected to be reduced to 3 weeks via North-South Transport Corridor.
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