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Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace d...
Iran's Minister of Road and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh has said that Iran and Russia are scheduled to sign a railway agreement next month in Moscow.
The contract borders on the construction of Rasht-Astara railway and to complete integration of railways of Azerbaijan, India, Iran, and Russia.
Speaking during the launching of a road development project in central Iran on Sunday, the minister said the final agreement on signing the Rasht-Astara railway construction project in Iran’s Caspian Province of Guilan was reached during her visit to neighboring Azerbaijan earlier this month.
“The trilateral meeting in Baku on transport and cargo transportation between Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia was an important event that focused on completion of the North-South Corridor,” she said.
The Astara–Rasht railway is the missing link of the 7,200-km long International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that will link railways of Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia and India.
It will be 162 kilometers long consisting of 56 bridges and 35 overpasses.
Meanwhile the deputy Minister of Road and Urban Development Houshang Bazvand has announced Russia’s agreement to finance the railway project worth 1.6 billion dollars.
“Russia has agreed to provide Iran with $1.6 billion in low-cost facilities, with a 3% interest rate for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Neighboring Azerbaijan and Iran are two key hubs of the INSTC multi-modal transport network.
It is intended to move freight between Azerbaijan, Central Asia, Europe, India, Iran, and Russia by increasing connectivity between Mumbai, Bandar Abbas, Bandar Anzali, Baku, Astarakhan and Moscow.
Following the Iranian minister’s visit to Baku in October to take part in the tri-lateral meeting, Sadegh said that both countries reviewed the progress of joint transport and transit projects and agreed on organising goods transportation at the border via rail and road.
“Progress of the joint infrastructure projects demonstrates Baku and Tehran’s firm determination to advance their shared development objectives,” said Sadegh who is the co-chairperson of the Azerbaijan-Iran Joint Economic Cooperation Commission.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace deal with the U.S. after Israel pounded Lebanon with its heaviest strikes yet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people. The warning came from Iran's lead negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bager Qalibaf.
Construction has begun on a major new solar power project in Xizang, as China continues to expand its renewable energy capacity and push towards a greener future.
Millions of Indians queued to vote in local elections across two states on Thursday, kicking off four key contests this month.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul and Beijing saying the meetings focused on easing differences and improving relations.
Lithuania’s Prime Minister’s visit to Azerbaijan on 9 April signals a deepening strategic dialogue between Baku and European partners. Analysts say economic interests and geopolitical shifts are driving closer engagement.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday (9 April) that restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a vital interest for both Italy and the European Union, pledging coordination with international partners to ensure safe passage.
Kazakhstan says oil exports via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) remain stable after drone strikes on facilities near Novorossiysk, despite damage to key infrastructure and rising risks to a major export route.
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