Iran, Russia Finalizing Agreement for Constructing Rasht-Astara Railway
来源:www.tehrantimes.com;发表于:2024-04-24;人气指数:34
Wednesday, April
24, 2024
Iran, Russia Finalizing Agreement for
Constructing Rasht-Astara Railway
Tehran and Moscow are finalizing the
draft of a contract for the implementation of the agreement to construct the
Rasht-Astara Railway.
In a meeting held between Deputy
Minister of Russian Railways Sergey Pavlov and Iran’s Ambassador to Russia
Kazem Jalali, the two sides emphasized compiling the contract for the
implementation of the agreement to construct the Rasht-Astara Railway.
During the meeting, the two sides
explored avenues for the development of transportation within the framework of
the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
In addition, the two sides examined the
trend of bilateral cooperation regarding the construction of the Rasht-Astara
Railway with the framework of the INSTC, according to the website of Iran's
Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.
The Deputy Minister of Russian Railways
acknowledged during the meeting that transporting containerized cargo from the
eastern side of the INSTC registered a 400 percent growth through ‘Sarakhs’ and
‘Incheh boroun’ customs in the first quarter of the current year
(January-March) compared to the same period last year.
Talks are ongoing between Tehran and
Moscow to determine the tariff for transporting chemical fertilizer and coal
from Russia to Iran, the United Arab Emirates and India, Pavlov added.
Iran and Russia, both under harsh
Western sanctions, on May 17 inked an agreement on the long-stalled
construction of a railway connecting the northern Iranian cities of Rasht and
Astara.
Spanning 162 km (100.6 miles), the
railway is a crucial element of the INSTC. The corridor integrates road, rail,
and sea transportation, facilitating the movement of goods between Russia and
India via Iran.
Through a video conference, Iranian
President Ebrahim Raisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin addressed
the ceremony in Tehran where the two countries' transport ministers signed the
agreement.
Raisi thanked Putin and the Russian
government for their involvement in the initiative and referred to it as an
"important strategic step" in bilateral cooperation that will benefit
all countries involved in the INSTC. Putin, for his part, called the occasion a
"landmark moment for the entire global transport infrastructure."
According to this agreement, the Russian
Federation will invest 1.6 billion euros in this railway route.
Iran has been a key player in the INSTC
and stands to benefit greatly from its full realization. As reported by Amwaj
media, the Raisi government has seemingly banked significantly on transit
becoming a top revenue generator. But Iran stands to gain from the project in
more ways.
The operationalization of the corridor
could mean improved relations between Iran and India, aligning New Delhi more
closely with Tehran’s regional interests.
A vital element of the INSTC, the
Rasht-Astara railway project has been stalled for years due to costs,
engineering, and logistical complications.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei stressed the importance of completing the stretch
of the railway in his July 2022 meeting with Putin in Tehran.
VTB's new office in Tehran is part of
Iran and Russia's ongoing efforts to connect their banking systems.
The two countries signed an agreement on
January 29 to link their inter-bank messaging systems.
Due to Western sanctions, both countries
have been cut off from SWIFT—a leading Belgium-based financial messaging
service.
Both Iran and Russia are looking to reap
the potential economic benefits of increased transit amid Western sanctions.
The Raisi government seeks to mitigate
the adverse effects of sanctions through de-dollarization of trade and the
establishment of direct banking and payment channels outside the international
banking system.
Tehran Times
Source: www.tehrantimes.com