Rostam Gasemi: Issuance of visas on North-South Transport Corridor should be facilitated

Issuance of visas related to cargo transit within the International North-South Transport Corridor should be facilitated, said the Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran, Rostam Ghasemi, at the event dedicated to the development prospects of the International North-South Transport Corridor, held in Baku, Report informs.

According to him, this will lead to cost reduction.

The minister believes that traffic should be facilitated: "Using digital communications and electronic document issues are very important in the transport corridor."

He added that today's agreement is a turning point for the North-South Transport Corridor, and the three countries [Azerbaijan, Russia, and Iran] have significant initiatives in terms of increasing transit opportunities: "All of these will contribute to the development of trade, including time and cost savings. There are advantages for all participants, and efforts in this direction are promising. In this regard, Iran is trying to implement cooperation in all directions, and we are ready to hold additional meetings in the future. We keep in mind the development of this corridor as a priority. Three countries plan diversification of roads. After the necessary work is done, it will have its effect."

The foundation of the North-South Transport Corridor was laid following the intergovernmental agreement signed between Russia, Iran, and India on September 12, 2000. Azerbaijan joined this agreement in 2005. In total, 13 countries have ratified the agreement (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Armenia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Sultanate of Oman, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkiye, Ukraine).

The purpose of establishing the corridor is to reduce the delivery time of goods going from India to Russia and Northern and Western Europe.