Stolyarov emphasized the importance of laying the foundation of the railroad bridge over the Astara River on the Azerbaijani-Iranian border. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Apr.20.
The railroad bridge over the Astara River is a strategically important facility that will connect the railways of Azerbaijan and Iran. The bridge`s construction is planned to be completed by late 2016.
Stolyarov expressed hope that it will be a cornerstone for the active phase of implementation of the project for constructing the Rasht-Astara section which is the main element of the North-South corridor.
Certainly, the implementation of the project for construction of the Rasht-Astara railway line will enable Azerbaijan to receive additional transit cargo base and to become a major participant of the North-South corridor, according to the Russian Railways representative.
Touching upon the possibility of creating a consortium for the North-South project, Stolyarov noted that the project participants have supported a tripartite dialogue on its implementation for a long time.
"Currently, we discuss the possible forms of its joint implementation with our partners both in Azerbaijan and Iran. So everything is possible," he added.
The North-South corridor is meant to connect Northern Europe with South-Eastern Asia. It will serve as a link to connect the railways of Iran, Azerbaijani and Russia.
At the initial stage, it is planned to transport 6 million tons of cargo per year via the North-South corridor and further to increase this volume to 15-20 million tons.
Russian Railways: Azerbaijan
24 April 2016
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Azerbaijan is the active initiator and driving force of the North-South transportation corridor project, Sergey Stolyarov, head of the International Cooperation Department at Russian Railways JSC told.
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