Iranian official stresses need of enhancing rail collaboration among SCO member nations
Date
12/2/2024 2:32:56 AM
(MENAFN) Jabbar-Ali Zakeri, Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI), stressed the importance of enhancing rail, transit, and logistics cooperation among the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during the 5th meeting of SCO railway heads in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday. He emphasized the need for greater collaboration in these sectors to foster efficient freight transportation across the region.
In his address, Zakeri proposed the organization of a trilateral meeting between Iran, Russia, and Azerbaijan to standardize tariffs and improve transportation efficiency. He also recommended the establishment of an expert working group to address various border-related challenges, identify underdeveloped routes not connected to existing rail networks, and create a financial model to attract investment for the construction of these routes.
Highlighting Iran's strategic geographical position as a vital bridge between East and West Asia, Zakeri reaffirmed the country’s commitment to strengthening partnerships in transit and logistics with other SCO member states. He emphasized the significance of enhancing both bilateral and multilateral transportation cooperation, particularly in improving east-west and north-south transit routes passing through Iran.
Zakeri further pointed to the North-South Intercontinental Corridor, which includes crucial rail crossings such as the Southern Belt Pass, the Almaty-Bandar Abbas route, and the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul corridor. Iran Railways is actively working to improve international rail connections by optimizing logistics, increasing capacity, and improving conditions for transporting goods between China, Russia, Central Asia, India, Pakistan, and Europe. He noted that completing the Rasht-Astara railway line in northern Iran is a key objective in the ongoing high-level negotiations between Iran and Russia
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