Iran suggests transportation-related proposals to BRICS

In the Friday meeting (June 8), which was held on the sidelines of the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Russia, the Iranian minister delivered a speech via video conference. Ambassador of Iran to Russia Kazem Jalali also represented Iran in the meeting.

The minister referred to Iran's potential and actual capacities in the fields of transportation and transit, including the International North-South-East-West Corridor, and declared the Islamic country's readiness for the digitalization of transportation and logistics supply chains, human resource training, and innovations in line with the objectives of BRICS – the acronym for an emerging-market cooperative mechanism that initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

He also proposed suggestions for achieving the BRICS objectives, including cooperation in the innovation of supply chains, urban mobility consistent with the significance of developing urban public transport systems, training of competent human resources to create a reliable transport system, and financing transport projects.

Bazrpash emphasized that the International North-South Corridor can improve synergy among the BRICS member states in the field of transportation and transit. 700 million tons of cargo are transported through this network per annum, and the volume of transit via the territories of Iran grew by more than 60% in 2023 to around 17 million tons, he added.

He also pointed to the excellent geographic location and extensive transit advantages of Iran, as the intersection of the aforementioned transit corridor, which possesses 11 ports on the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Oman Sea, as well as a 15,000-kilometer railway network, more than 250,000 kilometers of various roads, and 26 land border terminals, so the country enjoys the potential to connect regional and international trade networks via land with the minimum time and cost.

The SPIEF brings representatives from 136 countries, and in total, over 17,000 people attend the forum. The event is held under the slogan "The Basis of a Multipolar World - Formation of New Growth Points." Ministers and representatives from Iran, Russia, Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates spoke in person or via video conference.

4208**9417