Kazakhstan, Iran to implement pilot sea-rail transport plan

Bandar Abbas, IRNA – Kazakhstan and Iran plan to implement a pilot sea-rail transport project slated for the beginning of the next year, an Iranian official announced. Hossein Abbasnejad, the director general of the Ports and Maritime Department of Hormozgan Province, pointed to a recent visit by Serik Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan's acting deputy prime minister and minister of trade and integration, to Shahid Rajaee Port, noting that both countries start joint port activities at the port. Abbasnejad went on to say that as a result of the recent situation that erupted after the Russia-Ukraine war, one of the important issues concerning the transit of commodities is the use of the North-South International Corridor and Iran's special position in terms of export and import in the eyes of the Central Asian countries and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Kazakhstan is among the states that have expressed their readiness to transit their goods via Shahid Rajaee Port, he said, adding that Astana and Tehran pursue joint ventures to develop investment in the transit sector. The CIS member states attach importance to the railroad in order to be able to transport their commodities from north to south Iran and then export them to southern countries, the Iranian official noted. According to the director general, a technical committee of representatives from both countries is going to be formed within the next two months in order to discuss mechanisms and requirements to implement the joint venture, including a plan for applying a railway to transfer goods by the use of containers from northern Iran to Shahid Rajaee Port. The two sides decided on the pilot and limited utilization of containers in the north-south route, he said, noting that the process would be expanded if the results are satisfactory at this stage. Elsewhere in his remarks, Abbasnejad said that Kazakhstan's prime minister is scheduled to visit Iran simultaneously with the New Year and that the Kazakh authorities are keen on witnessing the initiation of the joint economic activity at the port at the same time. Zhumangarin, heading a delegation of representatives from Kazakhstan's governmental entities and private sector, visited Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Hormozgan province on November 1 with the aim of inspecting the potential for investment in terminals of the Iranian port. On Saturday, a delegation of 26 tradesmen and representatives of Russian transportation companies visited Shahid Rajaee Port in order to become familiar with the advantages of investing in the largest trade port in Iran. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish