Javad Hedayati, the director-general of Transit and International Transportation Bureau at Iran’s Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization (RMTO), informed of the trial run transit of road fleet from Iran, Azerbaijan, and Georgia to the Caucasus countries and East Europe through the Black Sea.

Linking the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea is among the key plank of connectivity programs attempted by Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran.

The trial run crossing tripartite countries to speed up traffic along the corridor is initiated by Iran and targets transit-oriented convergence, Hedayati added. 

Boosting region-wide trade and transport through reinforcement of corridors is a priority of Iran’s Government, aiming to shorten transit routes and reduce transport costs, according to Hedayati.

The Iranian official stressed the importance of strengthening regional transit based on multilateral advantages and reviving transit networks by taking immediate steps to remove current barriers and to facilitate truck traffic.

In this trial run, the loading of exported goods is in Iran and the destination is Europe.

Islamic Republic of Iran attempts to have a new alternative road route instead of maritime route (via Suez Canal) for transit from East and Southeast Asia including China, India, and the Persian Gulf states to the Caucasus and Europe.

A renewed effort in facilitating connectivity between Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and wider Black Sea region is needed in order to maximize trade and business opportunities for all involved countries.

It will be easier for countries to manage their post Covid-19 recovery, and achieve significant synergy of resources and markets for years to come, if they are interconnected. However plenty of attention is needed with regards to the harmonization of border crossing procedures, with the common aim of increasing competitiveness of the entire transit route.

The achievement is accomplished following the visit of Iranian delegation headed by Hedayati to Azerbaijan and Georgia from 15 to 18 November to form a road link through Iran, Azerbaijan, and Georgia through the Black Sea to the Caucasus countries, and Eastern Europe.