Iran and Russia are going to launch a permanent shipping route in the Caspian Sea for trade with container ships, an official said.
Member of Iran-Russia Joint Chamber of Commerce Jalil Jalaifar said the Caspian shipping route will come into operation as early as September.
Iran has been unable to raise the level of exports of agricultural products and foodstuff to Russia via the Caspian Sea for years due to the lack of container ships, he noted, saying the new shipping route will include cargo ships capable of carrying refrigerated containers.
Jalaifar added that according to a decision made by the North-South corridor joint taskforce, two container ships will begin carrying goods between Russia’s port of Astrakhan and two Iranian ports of ‘Caspian’ and ‘Qazian’ at Bandar-e Anzali, north of Iran.
Iranian and Russian officials have already agreed to hold the 16th session of the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission in September.
In a telephone conversation in April, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed ways to maintain and expand trade ties amid the outbreak of the coronavirus and promote mutual cooperation in the fight against the disease.
Highlighting the close and strategic relations between Iran and Russia in recent years, Rouhani stressed the need to develop bilateral relations and cooperation, especially in the fields of trade, economy, science and medicine.
