Central Asia-Persian Gulf transit corridor deal signed

Iran, Turkmenistan, Oman, Qatar and Uzbekistan inked an agreement to establish a Central Asia-Persian Gulf transit and transport corridor here on Monday.

Foreign ministers of the mentioned countries signed the five-sided agreement, the Mehr News Agency reported.

“I'm sure this agreement will have favorable and constructive results for regional nations, and will offer the five nations useful and ideal opportunities in launching international transit services,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said.

He noted that Central Asian countries, especially Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, have played a key role in the economic development of the regional nations, Press TV reported.

“These countries are among major producers of minerals as well as oil and gas in the region and the world, which makes their transit status and significance all the more important,” he added.

Iran's foreign minister further emphasized closer cooperation among the Persian Gulf countries, namely Qatar and Oman, to ease the transit of commodities in the region.

He expressed hope with the North-South transit corridor, which connects the Persian Gulf and Central Asia becoming operational, other countries would join in as well.

Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan to build railroad

Salehi also said that the Islamic Republic is cooperating with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to build a railroad linking the three countries, Press TV reported.

Salehi made the remarks in a press conference upon his arrival in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, where he was officially welcomed by his Turkmen counterpart Rashid Meredov.

The Iranian minister noted that the railroad would boost the trade transactions among the three sides, expressing hope for closer ties in political, economic and cultural spheres.

The initial agreement on the construction of the railway was signed between presidents of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan in the city of Turkmenbashi in April 2007 and Iran joined the deal in September 2007.

The 1,000-kilometer railroad will shorten more than 600 kilometers of route for transporting goods from the Central Asia to the Persian Gulf, and will become one of the important international transportation links between China and Europe.

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