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TEHRAN, Iran, June 9
Trend:
Iran expects to start Astarachay bridge construction in late June, the Governor of Astara County Hassan Rostamzad told Trend.
"The following railway can elevate friendship between Iran and Azerbaijan, and connect to Caspian Sea countries, northern and eastern Europe alongside India and countries in South of Africa," he said.
"Iran and Azerbaijan have good relations especially in trading, so transportation via this railway will improve trade immensely," Rostamzad added.
"Installation of Astara – Rasht railway is Iran's most important project in Gilan Province. A total of $14 million has been assigned assigned for installation of 10-kilometer railway in Astara, the work is ongoing," he said.
"The Astarachay bridge construction will start next week, as $9.5 million has been assigned to set it up," Rostamzad added.
Meanwhile, the official said that Astara (Iran)-Astara (Azerbaijan) railway construction is 50-percent done.
"We expect the two countries would use the advantage of this joint railway that would certainly affect trade with foreign countries," Rostamzad added.
In 2019, Vali Dadashi, Iranian MP from the electorate of Astara in Iran’s Gilan Province, told IRNA that Azerbaijan's announcement of its readiness to invest in Iran's Rasht-Astara railway project will accelerate the implementation of the project and will help businessmen and the population of the region to benefit from it.
According to Dadashi, Azerbaijan has stated that it is ready to invest in the development of the Astara-Rasht railway (along with its stations) and the North-South Corridor.
Astrachay is a small river which defines part of the border between Iran and Azerbaijan. The river stems from northwestern Alborz Mountain Range and ends its 38 km journey in the Caspian Sea.