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Tehran, Moscow agree to expedite implementation of strategic INSTC
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani and Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev underlined the need on Tuesday to accelerate the implementation of North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as they described the project as a key strategic undertaking for both countries.
The two senior officials met in Tehran as part of follow-up to high-level agreements reached between the presidents of their countries, with the talks focusing on removing existing barriers and moving the INSTC into its practical implementation stage.
During the talks, both sides hailed the strategic project as a key geopolitical component shaping regional connectivity.
Larijani said the Islamic Republic has taken a clear and final decision to operationalize the corridor, adding that all executive and institutional impediments would be addressed within a short timeframe.
The SNSC chief underlined that the required agreements would be finalized to provide a solid legal and operational framework for the project.
“Following directives by President Masoud Pezeshkian, ownership of all lands located along the corridor’s route will be transferred to the Iranian administration within the next few months to ensure the project proceeds without disruption,” Larijani said.
Savelyev, for his part, welcomed Iran’s determined stance and announced Russia’s readiness to speed up the project and commence practical operations.
Both sides emphasized that the INSTC forms part of a shared Iran-Russia strategy to deepen sustainable cooperation and establish independent regional connectivity routes.
They also agreed to activate mechanisms for continuous high-level follow-ups and to maintain regular coordination among relevant institutions in both countries.
In a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the International Conference on Peace and Trust in Turkmenistan’s capital of Ashgabat on Friday, Pezeshkian expressed Iran’s full readiness for implementing the project by the end of the year.
“Joint cooperation, particularly in the fields of power generation, transportation, and transit corridors, is currently being pursued. Regarding the [North-South] corridor, Iran will fully prepare the grounds for the project’s implementation by the end of the year,” he added.
Stretching over seven thousand kilometers, the INSTC is an emerging cargo transit route connecting Indian Ocean countries to Central Asia, Russia, and Europe, which is becoming increasingly popular due to its economic and geopolitical benefits.