Azerbaijan, Iran discuss prospects for railway sector co-op

By Azernews

The Azerbaijani Railways and the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (IRIR) have discussed prospects for cooperation in the railway sector, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place as part of the visit of the Azerbaijani delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, to Iran.

The parties discussed prospects for the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor and the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway line, which is an integral part of the corridor.

Moreover, they exchanged views on the current situation of the construction of a cargo terminal in the Iranian city of Astara, as well as the acceleration of work in this sector.

The North-South Transport Corridor was established on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement signed on September 12, 2000, by Russia, Iran, and India. Azerbaijan became a party to this agreement in 2005. The corridor's goal is to reduce cargo delivery times from India to Russia, as well as to northern and western Europe. Given the current global situation and sanctions, this route and Azerbaijan's role as a transit country have become critical for Russia.

It should be noted that 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Iran.

After liberating its lands from the Armenian occupation in the 44-day war in 2020, Azerbaijan regained control over the 132-km section of the Azerbaijan-Iran border. The re-establishment of control over the state border opened up new prospects for deeper cooperation between the two countries.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Iran in 2021 was $440.8 million.