Baku: The North-South international transport corridor plays a major role in the development of our economic and trade relations, said Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev, at a trilateral meeting of government representatives of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Iran held in Baku, APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted that during the first nine months of this year, the volume of cargo transportation along this corridor increased by 8.3% compared to the same period last year. He emphasized Azerbaijan’s strategic position in the western part of the North-South transport corridor, being the only country with land borders with both Iran and Russia. This geographical advantage allows Azerbaijan to play a critical role in the effective operation of the corridor and the development of transport relations in the region. Efforts by the involved countries aim to boost the corridor’s efficiency and transit potential. The Baku Declaration, signed following a trilateral meeting in Baku in September 2022, plans to increase cargo transportation along the corridor to 15 million tons.

In May 2023, an Agreement was signed between the Government of Iran and the Government of Russia on constructing the Rasht-Astara railway in Iran. Furthermore, in December 2024, the Governments of Azerbaijan and Russia signed an Agreement on cooperation in developing transit cargo transportation along the North-South International Transport Corridor. This Agreement stipulates that after modernizing the relevant railway infrastructure, the guaranteed volume of cargo transported through Azerbaijan will be at least 5 million tons per year starting from January 1, 2028, with expectations to reach at least 15 million tons once the corresponding decision is made. Additionally, in December 2023, a new automobile bridge and border crossing point over the Astarachay River on the Azerbaijan-Iran border were inaugurated.