On 27 August 2016 Mr. Ciorpaga met with Dr. Amir Amini, Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development

During discussion, Mr. Ciopraga and Dr. Amini exchanged views regarding the implementation of the TRACECA multilateral permits system for international road carriage of goods. Mr. Ciopraga stated that at the stage of the document development the representatives of Iran participated in the negotiation process, and he expressed his hope that the document corresponds to the internal legislation of the country in order to simplify the activities of the Iranian carriers within the TRACECA corridor.

Mr. Amini shared information with Mr. Ciopraga on the Iranian transport corridors. International North–South Transport Corridor is the ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia. The objective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali, etc. Dry runs of two routes were conducted in 2014, the first was Mumbai to Baku via Bandar Abbas and the second was Mumbai to Astrakhan via Bandar Abbas, Tehran and Bandar Anzali.

The objective of the study was to identify and address key bottlenecks". Other routes under consideration include via Armenia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. This will also synchronize with the Ashgabat agreement, a Multimodal transport agreement signed by India, Oman, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, for creating an international transport and transit corridor facilitating transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.

At the meeting Mr. Amini said that Iran`s trade volume with TRACECA has increased during past years. In particular, he mentioned privileged position of Anzali port in Northern Iran. In the near future and after the operation of Qazvin – Rasht – Anzali- Astara Railway, its prosperity will increase.

In this regard, Mr. Amini and Mr. Ciopraga emphasized good investment environment for development of multimodal transport as well as opportunities created in the special economic zones and Iranian huge investments in transport corridors.  

The government of Iran has attracted foreign investment and private sector partnerships. Moreover, development of Amirabad Port in North of country is one of the most important ongoing projects. The port could be as a strategic port for International Transport Corridor (ITC) TRACECA as it is provided by the most advanced equipment of loading and discharge of goods and also due to the access to the railway network of the country. This port is connected to the Iran- Turkmenistan- Kazakhstan railway and it facilitates transportation east to west and vice versa Caspian Sea via North of Iran.

Regarding the railway sector, Mr. Amini emphasized that extensive planning for next ten years has been done. Construction and operation of high speed and electric lines, wagons and locomotive modernization and increment with partnerships and investment from known countries are under way. Among the major projects are the projects of connectivity through China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran will complete the missing railway links of connecting China and Persian Gulf and Europe via Iran route.