Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi oversaw, via video-link, the signing of a deal to finance and build an Iranian railway line as part of an embryonic international North-South Transport Corridor.
Key points
- The Rasht-Astara railway is seen as an important link in the corridor, intended to connect India, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan and other countries via railways and sea – a route that Russia says can rival the Suez Canal as a major global trade route.
- The 162 km (100 mile) railway along the Caspian Sea coast would help to connect Russian ports on the Baltic Sea with Iranian ports in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf.
- It is planned that the Rasht-Astara line will be built by Moscow and Tehran, while the Rasht (Iranian city) – Astara (Azerbaijani city) line will be constructed by Moscow, Tehran, and Baku.
