Baku/21.10.22/Turan: The advantage of the Caspian International Transport Corridor is determined by the fact that it allows access to the seaports of Iran and provides communication with the markets of Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, the states of the Persian Gulf and Africa. It is in the South Caucasus that the crossroads of the main international transport corridors “North-South” and “East-West” are being formed today, stated on Friday the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, speaking at the “Made in Russia 2022” export forum.
“A significant role in this regard will be played by the unblocking of transport links between the western regions of Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan through the territory of Armenia or Iran.
Today, Azerbaijan and Iran have begun construction of bridges on the border, which will connect the roads of the two countries and will ensure the shortest and most convenient movement between the western regions of Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. The construction of a railway and a highway through Meghri through the territory of Armenia, whose sovereignty is not questioned by anyone, depends on the position of Armenia. At the same time, a road bypassing Armenia is already being built through Iran, that is, by 2024 there will be a road, and it will provide access to the markets of Iran, Turkey and further Europe,” he said.
Overchuk noted that the infrastructure of the North-South corridor does not meet the growing volume of traffic. Therefore, modernization of checkpoints on the Russian-Azerbaijani border is ongoing. Negotiations are underway to build the missing 160-kilometer section of the railway between Rasht and Astara in Iran.
Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran are negotiating the creation of a tripartite transport and logistics operator, which will manage the flow of goods, harmonize border control procedures and ensure the seamless passage of goods from the ports of the Persian Gulf to the Baltic and back.