Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia to Set Up Railway Company

Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia have decided on construction of a 375-kilometer-long railroad connecting the Azerbaijani border city of Astara with the Iranian city of Kazvin, Russian Railway representatives announced March 26.

A joint enterprise uniting the Azerbaijani, Iranian and Russian railway administrations will be set up shortly to build the railway link. All three sides will have an equal stake in the company, Russian Railway executive Sergei Stolyarov stated in comments appearing in the company's newspaper, Gudok. Stolyarov put the project cost at more than $200 million.

The project ties in with the Azerbaijani government's ongoing initiative to promote Azerbaijan as a transportation hub. The link will serve as part of the North-South Transport Corridor, a project aimed at creating a railway connection from Europe and Russia to India and Central Asia via Azerbaijan and Iran.