BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 23. Iran is in favor of creating a new network of energy transportation and transportation of trade products within the BRICS framework, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the summit of BRICS heads of state held in Kazan on October 23, Trend reports.
According to him, BRICS member states are the largest producers of energy, food, and other goods in the world and, at the same time, the largest consumers. Member states have access to international transit and cargo routes. This can lead to resolving many issues (economic, banking, national currency, etc.) in a simple way.
The Iranian President stated that at the same time, Iran aims to develop constructive cooperation within the framework of the international North-South corridor and East-West corridor.
BRICS, an intergovernmental organization, came into existence in 2006. Russia assumed the BRICS chairmanship on January 1, 2024. Currently, in addition to Russia, Brazil, India, China, and South Africa, the members of the organization are Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, an intergovernmental agreement signed between Russia, Iran, and India on September 12, 2000, laid the foundation for the North-South Transport Corridor. In general, several countries have ratified the said Agreement. (Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Bulgaria, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Sultanate of Oman, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Türkiye, Ukraine). The purpose of creating the corridor is to reduce the time of delivery of goods coming from India to Russia, as well as to Northern and Western Europe (the delivery time on the current route is more than 6 weeks; it is expected to be three weeks via “North-South”).
The Qazvin-Rasht railroad (175 km) was put into operation on March 6, 2019, to connect Azerbaijan's railroads with Iran's railway network within the corridor. The Rasht-Astara railroad is to be built on Iranian territory.
The North-South Corridor has three directions within Iran. The eastern direction is Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries; the middle direction is Russia and other countries across the Caspian Sea; and the western direction is Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Eastern European countries.