Putin: Russia invites interested parties to create North-South corridor

Russia invites all interested states to participate in the project to create a transport corridor North-South, which will connect the Persian Gulf and the Northern Sea Route.

President Vladimir Putin made the remark, speaking at a meeting with veterans of the Baikal-Amur Mainline on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the start of construction of the railway, according to Gazeta.ru.

"The North-South Transport Corridor should become an example of the widest international cooperation, it is about forming new logistics routes for the purpose of accelerated economic, social development of the countries of Eurasia and the global South," he said.

The North-South International Transport Project was unveiled at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in November 2023. It is designed to integrate Russian, Iranian, Azerbaijani and Indian highways. A key part of the North-South corridor is the construction of a $1.7 billion, 160-kilometre railway that will begin this year. It will be the last link on the route between Russia and ports in the Persian Gulf, also providing easy access to India's commercial centre, Mumbai.