BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. Iran and Qatar are keen to develop freight and transit infrastructure within the framework of the North-South International Transport Corridor, Trend reports.
This matter was the central topic of discussion during a meeting today in Doha between Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Farzaneh Sadegh, and Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
The Ministry of Roads and Urban Development of Iran reported that the meeting focused on the signing of an international transport agreement between the two countries, increasing freight cooperation between Iran's Bushehr port and Qatari ports, and the creation of new cargo and passenger ferry routes.
The discussions also covered the Ashgabat agreement on freight transportation and the enhancement of the Türkiye-Iran-Qatar freight transport cooperation. Other key topics included bilateral cooperation in air transport and other matters of mutual interest.
The foundation of the ‘International North-South Transport Corridor’ was laid on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement signed between Russia, Iran, and India on September 12, 2000. In total, 13 countries have ratified the agreement, including Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Russia, Türkiye, etc. The aim of setting up a corridor is to cut down the delivery time of cargo from India to Russia, along with Northern and Western Europe. The delivery time on the current route is dragging its feet at over six weeks; however, it's anticipated to be trimmed down to three weeks through the International North-South Transport Corridor.
To facilitate the integration of Azerbaijan Railways with the Iranian rail infrastructure within the designated corridor, the Qazvin-Rasht rail link, spanning 175 kilometers, was officially commissioned on March 6, 2019. The Rasht-Astara rail corridor is slated for development within the geopolitical confines of the Iranian territory.
The north-south corridor has three directions in the territory of Iran. Eastern direction: Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries; Middle direction: other countries across the Caspian Sea; Western direction: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Eastern European countries.
On May 17, 2023, Russia and Iran signed an agreement to build the Rasht-Astara railroad line in Gilan Province, northern Iran. The 163-kilometer-long Rasht-Astara railway line will house nine stations. The completion of this railroad will enhance the North-South international corridor and connect Iran's railroad network to the Caucasus countries, Russia, and Northern European countries. Under the agreement, the Russian side is to spend 1.6 billion euro on the construction of this railroad. This railroad is planned to be built and completed within 48 months.
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