Tehran, Iran, March 19
Trend:
India, looking for a bigger role in Eurasia and Afghanistan amid prevailing geopolitics, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia for fast-tracking International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that will enable a smoother connectivity to the region via Iran.
The MoU was signed between Russian Railways Logistics Joint Stock Company (RZD) and Container Corporation of India (CONCOR), the largest rail container transport operator in India.
Executive Director of Container Corporation of India Mohammad Azhar Shams spoke to Trend regarding the MoU.
"Through that MoU we agreed to help each other to cooperate together to make best use of INSTC to the benefit of all the stockholders,” Shams said.
"During the visit to Russia, CONCOR said that it may run scheduled cargo trips from Nhava Sheva port in Mumbai to Bandar Abbas in Iran, and the rest of the logistics from there would be handled by RZD, either loaded or empty - back to Bandar Abbas and from there on to Mumbai," he said.
“It is a basic MoU and we are working on commercial aspects and all movements,” he added. “It is a basic understanding to think on cooperating and then try to make use of this route.”
“There are a lot of potential in the North-South Corridor. So many containers can go to Iran and Azerbaijan from our ports like Mumbai,” he said.
Pointing to the role of India in development of Chabahar-Zahedan railway, he says that, the major portion of this project should be taken care of Iranian railways.