Tehran, March 1 (MRUD NEWS)—The Russian's proposed draft of the agreement for financing construction of Rasht-Astara Railway is being considered at Iran Ministry of Roads and Urban Development and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance.
Iran deputy transport minister, Shahriyar Afandizadeh, informed of the news right after a video conference meeting with his Russian counterpart, stating that the initial draft of the agreement on the part of Russia for financing this strategic railway along the North-South Corridor with the length of 162 km is already under considerations by Iran.
In the meeting, the two parties decided to finalize the financing, design and implementation of the Astara-Rasht Railway project within three months. The technical issues related to the construction as well as the design of the technical structures throughout the route, including the bridges and tunnels, were also examined by the two sides which would be further discussed until reaching the final draft of the financing agreement, Afandizadeh explained.
All the articles of the draft agreement should be subject to the regulations of the Islamic Republic of Iran, he further pointed.
After signing the above-mentioned agreement, the preliminary design should be done within 3 months and the final studies of the route within 6 months. The implementation of the project will begin at the end of 2023, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will also acquire the land needed for the construction of the railroad at intervals without interrupting the implementation, Afandizadeh emphasized to his Russian counterpart during the virtual meeting.
Deputy Transport Minister of Roads and Urban Development, pointing to the geographical location of Iran at the center of the North-South and East-West transport corridors, said with current infrastructure, the use of multi-modal transport is an effective solution to improve transit throughout Iran which can be drawn on till the completion of the Astara-Rasht Railway.
He further mentioned that Iran expects the Russian Federation to make the necessary arrangements and commitments for at least 15 million tons of freight transit annually through this route in the future after the completion of Rasht-Astara section. He also said this necessitates a trilateral agreement between Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Moreover, Afandizadeh informed of the preliminary agreements reached in the meeting for a common tariff for freight transit along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) in the territories of these three countries.