Russian envoy to Iran: North-South int’l transport corridor - very promising project

Iran has always been an important player in the South Caucasus, Russian Ambassador to Iran Aleksey Dedov said in an interview with RIA Novosti, answering a question about Russia’s participation in projects developed by Iran in this region, Report informs.

He pointed to the Iranian side’s readiness to interact with Russia in the South Caucasus: “The countries have similar positions in that all conflicts in the region should be resolved through peaceful political and diplomatic efforts and by the countries of the region themselves without the intervention of external forces, whose efforts, as a rule, only lead to even greater tension.”

Aleksey Dedov emphasized that Russia and Iran are interacting within the “3+3” consultative regional platform for the South Caucasus: “Specifically there we are talking about practical cooperation projects - economics, energy, trade, transport, information and communication technologies, natural resources, humanitarian sphere, education, culture, tourism.”

The ambassador called the North-South International Transport Corridor project quite promising, noting that many Gulf states are also showing interest in it.

“In May 2023, an intergovernmental agreement was signed on the completion of the last missing section of the Rasht-Astara railway. Another project that is being negotiated is the creation of the Russia-South Caucasus-Iran energy bridge, which involves the exchange and transportation of electricity between Russia and Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran during peak load periods,” added Dedov.