International North-South Transport Corridor

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Participants of the motor rally that came to Azerbaijan on May 5 with the aim of promoting the International North-South Transport Corridor were sent off to Saint Petersburg from the area outside the Heydar Aliyev Center. The Ambassadors of the North-South Transport Corridor participating countries said that this route would contribute to the development and prosperity of the entire region.

“This is the International North-South Transport Corridor motor rally. It is a joint rally of India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia. They are coming from Bandarabas. They started from India last week. They are coming from Bandarabas to Astara and now, they will go to Saint Petersburg. They had an excellent time in Azerbaijan. They promoted the International North-South Corridor. They really enjoyed the conditions here. And this will popularize this corridor, which will bring trade and investment to all these regions. This is a very important bridge between our countries, between India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia. This will boost the trade and it will benefit all of the people,” Indian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Sanjay Rana said.

They will drive 5,000 km in order to highlight the importance of the North-South Transport Corridor and the contribution this corridor can make to the region. This initiative is very successful and I highly appreciate it. We are here with the ambassadors of Russia and India to emphasize the significance of this social project,” Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Javad Jahangirzadeh added.

“Not only the infrastructure, but also the very crucial public diplomacy [JB emphasis] gain ground due to this important transport corridor. This motor rally is very symbolic as it coincides with important dates. Thus, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and India. Also, this year marks the 95th anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev. At the same time, the Victory Day is celebrated in Russia. All these events unite people,” Russian Charge D’Affaires to Azerbaijan Oleg Murashev concluded.

During its return journey from Saint Petersburg, the rally will again pass through Azerbaijan from 25 to 27 May 2018. The rally will also visit the Chabahar port in Iran, which is a new port being jointly developed by India and Iran. The rally will cover a distance of over 10,000 km in Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia.

“This is a treaty between India, Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan. This is a new trade route. From India you can come to Chabahar or Bandarabas and then you can drive straight to the European continent through Russia. By organizing this rally, we are giving a message that the world has a new economic corridor,” rally participant Debashish Samantray said.

“This route is very good for all the four countries. We are good friends since long time ago. This is a better initiative taken by India and Russia. Azerbaijan is also participating in it. Iran was very nice. We went through Iran and we are looking forward to going to Russia and are looking forward to good friendship,” Jagjit Singh Sandhu, a rally participant said.

The North-South Transport Corridor was launched in September 2000 upon the initiative of Russia, India and Iran. The agreement came into force on May 16, 2002. This route will address the problem of the lack of a direct transportation link between India and the Eurasian region. This new route has proved to be much shorter, faster and cheaper than the existing shipping route. It is estimated that the International North-South Transport route would be 40 percent shorter than the current sea route. The development of the INSTC infrastructure would be very beneficial for the whole region by enhancing the business potential and generating new trade and investment opportunities.