By Alperen Aktas
ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran are actively advancing the western route of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Iranian Transport Minister Farzaneh Sadegh inspected infrastructure at checkpoints on the Iran-Azerbaijan border as part of joint efforts to develop the route, the Russian government said Tuesday.
The visit followed a trilateral meeting in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, where delegations discussed infrastructure cooperation and ways to eliminate bottlenecks along the corridor to enhance regional connectivity.
Overchuk said the three countries plan to increase cargo volumes along the corridor to 15 million tons, stressing the need for coordinated work.
“In Iran, design and survey work is currently underway to prepare for the construction of the railway section between (the cities of) Astara and Rasht,” he told reporters.
He noted that Iran had updated its partners on progress in meeting its commitments under the Rasht-Astara railway project while praising Azerbaijan’s investment in modern road infrastructure.
“Today, when we entered Iran, we saw that the vast majority of trucks queuing to enter Azerbaijan from Iran were Russian,” Overchuk said, underscoring the growing trade and logistics activity among the three countries.
Following the talks, the officials agreed to establish a trilateral coordination mechanism led by deputy transport ministers and customs officials to address operational issues and streamline cross-border procedures.
The International North-South Transport Corridor is a 7,200-kilometer (4,473-mile) multi-modal network that links Russia with India and Iran, with Azerbaijan serving as a key transit country for one of its main routes. The corridor primarily uses a combination of ship, rail and road to move freight between these countries.