Azerbaijan-Iran trade to benefit from Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor

By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

An important transport corridor with multiple routes will soon emerge to facilitate trade between the region's countries and the rest of the world, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari has said.

Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Bulgaria, and other participants are currently negotiating the "Persian Gulf-Black Sea Corridor Agreement".

the sixth round of talks will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, between April and May. He also stated that the agreement's text will be ready for signing at that time, he said.

Member states are making informal preparations in Tehran and other respective capitals, said Safari.

It should be noted that the corridor's route begins in the Persian Gulf in southern Iran and continues to Europe.

The Digital Development and Transport Ministry stated that the results of the test run will be studied, the effectiveness of the route will be evaluated, and it will be possible to carry out rail freight through this corridor in the future.

South Asian countries will also have another route to the West through this corridor as part of the project.

The ministry previously stated that this transportation corridor, as well as its potential future expansion, will provide significant economic benefits to regional countries. The corridor is of great importance both in terms of transit traffic and access to world markets, the ministry added.

Former Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pakayin earlier identified opportunities for the two neighboring countries to increase revenues through the construction of a new bridge over the Astarachay River and the Rasht-Astara railway line, the completion of the Astara railway terminal, the resumption of the Nakhchivan-Mashhad railway, increased road and transport cooperation, the establishment of the Persian Gulf-Black Sea maritime route, and the development of maritime cooperation.

He emphasized that the construction of the 35-kilometer-long Rasht-Anzali railway will boost maritime cargo transportation between Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and the Caspian littoral states.

After liberating its lands from Armenia's occupation in a 44-day war with Armenia in 2020, Azerbaijan restored control over the 132-km section of the Azerbaijan-Iran border. The restoration of control over the state border created new opportunities and prospects for broader cooperation between the two countries.