Russia will build a railroad between Kazvin and Azerbaijani border in Iran

Russian Railway Company is planning to launch construction of the Kazvin-Resht-Astara (Iran) railroad this year, said president of the company Bladimir Yakunin, being on a visit in Iranian city of Tebriz, where he took part in the ceremonial event in honor of the start of works on electrification of the Tebriz-Szarshakhr railway line.

The opening ceremony was attended by president of the Iranian Railway Company Hassan Ziyari, governor of the Eastern Azerbaijan province Ahmed Alizer Beygi and others", said the central railway newspaper Gudok.

During his visit to Iran Vladimir Yakunin especially stressed importance of the development of the North-South corridor. "The organizaiton of the direct railway communication with Iran via Azerbaijan and implementation of the project of the construction of Kazvin-Resht-Astara (Iran) - Astara (Azerbaijan) may raise its competitiveness", considers Yakunin.

"A through tariff rate to include all spendings on cargo transportation must be created on the route. And this rate must be as attractive as possible. This will create necessary conditions for attracting additional volumes of export-import and transit goods and will allow to use the geopolitical situation of our countries more effectively", noted the head of the railway company.

Notably, in the framework of the implementation of the Kazvin-Resht-Astara project in 2008 Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran signed a trilateral memorandum of mutual understanding on construction of a railway line. It was also agreed to form work groups for development of the concept of mutual activity, on conditions of creation of a joint venture with a place of registration in Moscow for settlement of the organizational and legal conditions of the project implementation. In November of 2008 the Russian side has developed the feasibility study of the project.

The next trilateral meeting is planned to be held in Saint-Petersburg in late February of 2009.

/Regnum/