29 Mar 2024




Sputnik News- India has pitched the idea of a transport corridor to Iran, Russia, the Caucasus region and Central Asia as an alternative to Chinas One Belt, One Road project.

The proposed corridor, dubbed North-South, would stretch toRussia viaIran and connect the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean withthe Caspian Sea, thus making the Islamic Republic a key player inthe region.

In an interview withSputnik Persian, Iranian political analyst Pir Mohammad Mollazehi spoke aboutthe potential benefits theNorth-South projectpromised Iran and Russia.
What makes the North-South corridor so important is that it would bring transportation costs and travel time downby 30 percent. It is withthese considerations inmind that Iran, Russia and India are now discussing the use ofthe Chabahar or Bender Abbas ports tobring cargoes tothe Iranian ports onthe Caspian Sea, Pir Mohammad Mollazehi said.


He added that India was also looking fora way todeliver its goods byrail or byroad toRussia and Europe.

They could also build a railway betweenChabahar and Bender Abbas tohaul cargoes toKhorasan and further onto Central Asia. We expect India toget more actively involved inthis project and invest more inthe development ofthe Chabahar port, which is a gateway toAfghanistan and Central Asia, Pir Mohammad Mollazehi noted.

On the other hand, India also needs a transport corridor toRussia and Europe. Russia would be able todeliver its goods viathe North-South corridor faster and cheaper. This corridor could thus be used byall our three countries, he added.

China's "One Belt, One Road"strategy was launched in2013 and is aimed atdeveloping infrastructure and strengthening ties betweenthe Eurasian countries, focusing onthe land-based Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road.

In May 2015, Russia and China signed an agreement aimed atthe combination ofintegration efforts ofboth the Eurasian Economic Union and the Silk Road project.


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