Azernews.Az

By Leman Mammadova

The cooperation on transportation between Iran and Russia through Azerbaijan is crucial in the realization of the North-South International Transport Corridor project.

In 2019-2021 cargo transportation between Russia and Iran is expected to be increased by 30 percent.

Chairman of Russian State Duma's Committee for Transport and Construction Evgeniy Moskvichev said in his speech at the Transport Week-2018 which took place in Moscow, AZERTAC reported.

He noted that a free transit to Iran to be organized between Russia and Azerbaijan. Therefore, the volume of cargo arriving in Iran and from Iran, will increase by 30 percent in 2019-2021.

Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran established a joint working group on further development of transportation between the countries within the Transport Week.

The North-South transport corridor was established in 2000 within the Intergovernmental Agreement between Russia, Iran and India. The main purpose of the agreement is to increase the efficiency of transport communications in the organization of freight and passenger transportation, to create conditions for member states to enjoy the international rail, automobile, sea, river and air transport services, to assist in increasing the volume of international transportations. The project envisages connecting India with the Middle East and the Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe.

In total, 13 countries have ratified the Agreement. Azerbaijan joined this Agreement in 2005. The purpose of the corridor is to reduce the delivery time to 3 weeks from India to Russia, as well as to North and Western Europe as the current route route is more than 6 weeks.

Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia signed an agreement in 2005 on the construction of 375 km long Astara-Resht-Qazvin railway project envisages the construction of a new railway line in Iran, which will connect Astara, Azerbaijan to the Iranian cities of Astara, Rasht and Qazvin as well as the reconstruction of an existing railway in Azerbaijan.

The railway between Astara regions of Azerbaijan and Iran has been already completed. Qazvin-Rasht part of railway has been already launched last week. The construction of the Rasht-Astara railway will be completed in two years.

The expected volume of cargo on the corridor passing through the territory of Azerbaijan is 3 million tons at the first, 5-8 million tons at the second and 15 million tons at the third stage.

Last year, Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia lowered the tariffs by 50 percent for the activation of cargo transportation via the North-South international transport corridor. In 2017, the increase in cargo transportation through the territory of Azerbaijan between Russia and Iran was 68 percent.

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