Iranian MP offers to connect Ardabil railway with Azerbaijan

Ali Nikzad, a member of the Iranian parliament from the cities of Ardabil, Nir, Namin and Serein, has said that it is advisable to prepare the ground for connecting the Ardabil railway line with Parsabad and Azerbaijan with the support of the government.

According to him, connecting the Astara railway line with Azerbaijan is impossible as the region is swampy, Caliber.Az reports, citing “Azad İran” (Free Iran) Telegram channel.

However, it is possible to use the Ardabil-Parsabad railway and establish a connection with Azerbaijan. This can contribute to the revival of the North-South corridor.

Nikzad also noted that talks were held with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the completion of the Ardabil railway line.

The foundation of the North-South Transport Corridor was laid based on an intergovernmental agreement signed on September 12, 2000, by Russia, Iran, and India. Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Russia, Tajikistan, Türkiye, and Ukraine ratified the agreement. The goal of the corridor is to reduce transit times for goods from India to Russia and to Northern and Western Europe (the current transit time is over 6 weeks, while the North-South Corridor is expected to reduce it to 3 weeks).

The North-South Corridor has three routes within Iran: the eastern route to Turkmenistan and Central Asia, the central route via the Caspian Sea to Russia and other countries, and the western route through Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Eastern Europe.

By Khagan Isayev