Mohammad Shakibi-Nasab, the Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and Managing Director of the Ports and Maritime Organization, stated during a visit to the infrastructure, operational capacities, and the process of loading and unloading activities of Nowshahr Port: "The country's northern ports, with about 900 kilometers of Caspian Sea coastline, play an important role in the development of the maritime economy and especially in ensuring the country's food security."

Referring to the importance of the northern ports' capacity in unloading and storing essential goods, he added: "The visit of the members of the Organization's board of directors to the ports of Nowshahr, Fereydunkenar, and Amirabad has been placed on the agenda with the aim of examining the status of infrastructure, evaluating operational capacities, and identifying the development needs of these ports."

The Managing Director of the Ports and Maritime Organization, stating that the nominal capacity of the country's northern ports is about 30 million tons, clarified: "Based on the planning carried out, there is the possibility of increasing the unloading of essential goods in these ports up to 17 million tons, the realization of which requires the modernization of equipment, the upgrading of infrastructure, and the provision of the necessary grounds for accepting and unloading a larger volume of goods."

Shakibi-Nasab continued: "During these visits, the technical and operational needs of the northern ports will be examined, and the necessary decisions for preparing the infrastructure and removing possible obstacles will be made with the participation of the members of the board of directors and the Organization's technical team, so that the grounds for increasing the operational capacity of these ports are provided."

He further elaborated on the position of Iran's ports on the shores of the Caspian Sea, saying: "Currently, about 21 percent of the capacity of the ports on the shores of the Caspian Sea is held by Iran's ports, and 23 percent of the total cargo loading and unloading operations in this water body is also carried out in our country's ports."

The Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development noted: "With the implementation of equipment modernization programs, infrastructure development, and the enhancement of the operational capability of the northern ports, Iran's share of the commercial and port activities of the Caspian Sea can be increased, and more benefit can be derived from the capacities of this water body in the path of developing the maritime economy and strengthening the country's commercial position."