Pezeshkian: Iran bent on completion of INSTC with Russia
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that his government is determined to complete the International North South Transit Corridor (INSTC).
Pezeshkian made the announcement in a meeting with Vitaly Gennadyevich Savelyev, the Russian deputy prime minister for transport, as both sides discussed the expansion of bilateral relations and strategies for accelerating the completion of the strategic INSTC project, reported president.ir.
Pezeshkian highlighted the priority of implementation of the Rasht-Astara railway project as a part of INSTC under the Iran-Russia agreement.
He stated that Iran is committed to the terms of the agreement and called on the Russian side to begin mapping the route and preparing for project implementation as soon as possible.
“The Iranian government emphasizes the execution of this agreement, and our Minister of Roads and Urban Development [Farzaneh Sadeq-Malvajerd] is responsible for overseeing its implementation,” Pezeshkian said.
For his part, Savelyev, extended warm regards from the Russian president and prime minister to Pezeshkian and invited him to visit Russia in early 2025, saying that the Russian government is preparing for this visit and the associated negotiations.
Highlighting the Rasht-Astara railway project, Savelyev reaffirmed his government’s commitment to its execution.
He noted that Russia has secured the necessary line of credit and is collaborating with Azerbaijan on the INSTC.
Savelyev also expressed the Russian government’s desire to expedite the implementation of the project, stating that Russia and Azerbaijan have agreed to modernize the portion of the railway located in their territories and called on Tehran to pave the ground for upgrading its section of the railway.
He described the increase in cargo transport between Russia and Iran as growing and expressed optimism that the implementation of the Astara-Rasht railway agreement could initially facilitate the transfer of 15 million tons of goods between the two countries.