Baku, Azerbaijan, May 10
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has expressed hope that there will be a boom in the country's minerals exports as his administration has taken measures to facilitate transportation and expand the ties with the world.
Addressing a press conference in Kerman Province, aired live May 11 by the Iranian news channel IRINN, President Rouhani said railroads are of high importance for improving the country's mining sector.
Saying the government has paved the way for exporting goods, he added that there are proper opportunities for joint investments in the country.
Iran's proven mineral reserves stand at 37 billion tons. The country ranked among 15 major mineral-rich countries of the world and exports its industrial and mineral products to 159 countries, including Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates, India and Afghanistan.
Iran and several other countries, including Azerbaijan, are working on a transit project called the North-South Corridor, which is meant to connect Europe to India through several countries, cutting shipment time from 40 to 14 days end-to-end.
Iranian officials estimate that 10 million tons of goods will be transited through the corridor per year from the Persian Gulf to Russia and the Black Sea, as well as to Europe.