Lavrov: We expect the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway line of the International North-South Transport Corridor to begin soon

Russia expects the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway line to begin in the near future, with a Russian export loan to be provided for this purpose. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made this statement during a press conference following negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as reported by TASS.

“We are pleased that our Iranian friends are taking all necessary steps before the launch of the Rasht-Astara railway construction. We expect the construction to begin very soon. A Russian export loan will be allocated for this purpose. The Rasht-Astara section will enable us to take a very important step, as it is an essential component of the full operation of the International North-South Transport Corridor,” Lavrov stated.

According to Iranian officials’ estimates, the Rasht-Astara railway will transport one million passengers and 10 million tons of cargo in its first year of operation.