Russian expert emphasises importance of North-South corridor offers assistance to Azerbaijan’s landmine problem  

The "North-South" International Transport Corridor project serves as a vital bridge connecting Eurasian countries, an argument repeatedly emphasised by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Dmitry Solonnikov, the Director of the Russian Institute for Modern State Development in St. Petersburg gave this statement while speaking during a roundtable marking the anniversary of the declaration on allied relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, Caliber.Az reports citing local media.

“The route of this transport corridor begins in Russia, passes through Azerbaijan, and continues to Iran, Türkiye, India, and beyond. This project is a strategic direction, and we have been preparing for its launch for many years,” he noted. 

In his speech, Solonnikov also highlighted the importance of clearing landmines from Azerbaijan’s liberated territories in this context. 

“A crucial aspect of our cooperation is military-technical collaboration. In discussions with our Azerbaijani colleagues, we often hear about the issue of landmines in the liberated areas. Russia has extensive experience in this field, along with the necessary technical resources and specialists. Therefore, we can support our friends and jointly develop these territories,” the expert emphasized. 

As Caliber.Az recalls, citing Russian media publications, the "North-South" International Transport Corridor (ITC) is a trade route extending from the seaport of St. Petersburg to Mumbai, one of the largest ports on India’s western coast. Spanning approximately 7,200 km, the corridor connects 14 countries. During the II Eurasian Transport Conference in St. Petersburg in September 2000, Russia, Iran, and India signed an agreement establishing the North-South Transport Corridor, later joined by Oman, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Syria, Türkiye, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. 

The project integrates maritime routes from Mumbai to Iran’s ports of Chabahar and Bandar Abbas, rail connections through Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran, Caspian Sea shipping, and road networks across Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Russia. The first commercial cargo shipments via the corridor were dispatched in July 2022. In the Caspian Sea region, the North-South Corridor follows three main routes: 

The Trans-Caspian route, utilizing Russian and Iranian ports

The Western route, passing through Azerbaijan

The Eastern route, running through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.

By Nazrin Sadigova