TEHRAN – Iranian Deputy Transport and Urban Development Minister Kheirollah Khademi has said Rasht-Astara railway can be completed within four years if the necessary funding is provided for the project.

Khademi made the remarks in a meeting with a Russian delegation in Tehran on Monday, the portal of Transport Ministry reported.

“From a technical point of view, there are no obstacles in the way of implementing the project, and according to the similar experience in Qazvin-Rasht railway construction, if the necessary resources are provided by Russia, this strategic railway will be completed within three to four years,” Khademi said.

Iranian Transport Ministry hosted a meeting with a Russian delegation comprised of experts and officials from the country’s railways in which the two sides discussed conditions and methods of participation in the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway.

Speaking in this meeting, the Iranian deputy minister emphasized the importance of the International North-South Corridor (INSTC) as a vital transport highway from St. Petersburg to the ports of Iran and India and said: “The North-South Corridor connects the countries of Northern Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia through Iran with the countries of the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia, and its completion will make the cheapest and fastest transit route available to these countries.”

Referring to the meeting between the Iranian President and the Prime Minister of Russia and the emphasis of the heads of the two countries on participation in the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway, Khademi said: “This meeting has been held considering the importance of the operation of this rail route for the two countries in order to review the conditions of cooperation in the field of design and implementation and the technical specifications of the project.”

The Astara–Rasht–Qazvin railway is a transport corridor that connects existing railways of Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran. The project is carried out within the framework of the International North-South Transport Corridor. The purpose of the project is to integrate the transport and information routes of Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and India.

Back in April, Iranian Minister of Transport and Urban Development Rostam Qasemi said Iran and Russia had reached an agreement on expanding road, rail, sea, and air cooperation and completing the INSTC.

Qasemi said that during a visit to Russia, he had expressed Iran's readiness to exchange experiences and export construction materials such as cement, stone and tiles to Russia, and described the exchange of trade delegations in that industry as a way to develop cooperation in that regard.

EF/MA