Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 6
By Khalid Kazimov – Trend:
Iranian Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi has described North-South transportation corridor as the shortest overland route linking the Persian Gulf to the Europe.
In the meantime, the 1,450 km long North-South corridor will connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Islamic Republic, he said, IRNA news agency reported.
In the regional terms, the corridor will ease commuting between Tehran, Iranian capital, and the Islamic Republic’s western neighbors, he added.
Azerbaijan and Iran are participants of the large and perspective North-South transportation corridor, which is meant to connect Northern Europe with Southeast Asia.
The project is notable for its benefits not only for development of the economies of two countries involved, but also for other countries, located along the railway route and the region as a whole.
Iran and Azerbaijan have already launched construction work aimed at connecting their railway systems as two major participants of the transportation corridor.
At the initial stage, it is planned to transport 5 million tons of cargo via the North-South corridor per year and to increase the figure to over 10 million tons in the future.
In addition to its international aspects, the corridor will have a significant role in reducing transportation costs as well as booming volume of trade turnover between Iran and Azerbaijan.