Thirteen countries will participate in the project of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), Igor Levitin, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation, said at the plenary session of the International Siberian Transport Forum via video link, Report informs via TASS.
"An agreement has been reached with almost all the thirteen countries participating in the North-South corridor project, and all of them have confirmed their participation," he said.
Levitin added that there is an urgent need for the development of access to the Northern Sea Route (NSR):
"It is necessary to implement the construction project of railway lines in the Urals and Siberia. This will relieve congestion on the Trans-Siberian highway and increase cargo transportation to Asian countries."
The INSTC is considered as an alternative to the Suez Canal. The most important land part of the corridor passes through Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Currently, the main part of transportation along the corridor is carried out by trucks.