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Iran stresses importance of strengthened rail cooperation among SCO members

· 2 min read

Iran stresses importance of strengthened rail cooperation among SCO members​

TEHRAN – Jabbar-Ali Zakeri, Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI), underscored the need for enhanced rail, transit, and logistics cooperation among member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Iran stresses importance of strengthened rail cooperation among SCO members

Zakeri made these remarks during the 5th meeting of SCO railway heads in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday. He proposed the organization of a trilateral meeting between Iran, Russia, and Azerbaijan to standardize tariffs and improve freight transportation efficiency.

In addition, Zakeri recommended establishing an expert working group to address border-related challenges, identify underdeveloped routes not connected to existing rail networks, and create a financial model to attract the necessary investment for constructing these routes.

Highlighting Iran's strategic geographical position as a bridge between East and West Asia, Zakeri stressed the country's commitment to strengthening partnerships in transit and logistics with SCO member states. He emphasized the importance of developing both bilateral and multilateral transportation cooperation, particularly in enhancing east-west and north-south transit routes passing through Iran.

Zakeri also pointed to the North-South Intercontinental Corridor, which includes key rail crossings such as the Southern Belt Pass (connecting China to Europe), the Almaty-Bandar Abbas route, the Almaty-Tehran-Istanbul rail passage, and the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul corridor. He noted that Iran Railways is actively working to improve international rail links by facilitating logistics, increasing capacity, and optimizing conditions to transport goods between China, Russia, Central Asia, India, Pakistan, and Europe.

Furthermore, Zakeri emphasized that the North-South Corridor is a key project in global rail transport, with ongoing high-level negotiations between Iran and Russia aimed at completing the Rasht-Astara railway line in northern Iran.

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source: tehrantimes.com