12mn tonnes Russian goods to pass via Iran as Moscow, Tehran agrees on transit

Tehran: Following External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to Moscow in November, Russia and Iran have agreed to allow the passing of 12 million tonnes of Russian goods via Tehran.

The goods will be travelling via the International North-South Transport Corridor. The decision has come as a result of the efforts that both Russia and Delhi are making to increase the trade of goods and boost the India-Russia economic partnership, especially amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. According to the Tehran Times, an agreement was signed by Deputy Transport and Urban Development Minister for Transportation Affairs Shahriar Afandizadeh and Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Dmitry Zverev.

After the signing of this agreement, the first freight train arrived at Iran's Sarakhs railway station in Khorasan-Razavi province near the border of Turkmenistan and this marked the official launch of the east section of the INSTC.

The train carried 39 containers of goods. The train left the Chekhov station on July 6 and travelled 3,800 kms through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan finally entering Iran. According to Tehran Times, this train will carry the containers to Bandar Abbas in south Iran and then be sent to India's Nhava Sheva Port via seaways.

Prior to this Iran and Russia had signed an agreement in July for transiting 10 million tons of Russian goods through Iran. This matter of Russian goods crossing Tehran was also addressed in Jaishankar's visit to Moscow. There he said that we discussed ways to expand and diversify our cooperation, moving beyond traditional areas.

The promotion of inter-regional cooperation has been a key priority for us, particularly with the Russian Far East. We also discussed enhancing connectivity, including through the International North-South Transport Corridor as well as the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor. I updated Minister Lavrov and deputy PM Manturov on India's flagship initiatives, including Atmanirbhar Bharat i.e. self-reliant India and Make in India, that can serve as platforms for a more contemporary economic relationship between our two countries, as per a press statement from the Ministry Of External Affairs.

Any such goods consignment will surely be boosting the trade relations between Russia which has been a long-time trade partner.