Iran’s roads minister calls North-South corridor reliable, low-cost route

Photo: Iran's Ministry of Roads and Urban Development

BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a reliable and cost-effective transit route for countries in the region, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh said.

According to Iran's Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, she made the remarks on Thursday, October 15, at the 8th New Silk Road Freight and Logistics International Meeting, themed "Digital Silk Road: Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies in Logistics," held in Astana, Kazakhstan.

"The International North-South Transport Corridor connects India, Iran, Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The corridor has significant potential to promote regional trade," she said.

Sadegh said digital transformation offered unprecedented opportunities to streamline logistics, including reducing costs, increasing efficiency and enabling seamless border crossings.

She added that developing regional digital infrastructure along transit corridors could significantly reduce delays in various processes, thereby strengthening trade competitiveness along these routes.

According to Sadegh, Iran serves as a bridge along transit corridors and is an important trade gateway connecting Central Asia, Europe and the Middle East. She said Iran was working with countries in the region to promote regional integration and international competitiveness.

She noted that joint efforts to develop regional digital infrastructure could significantly improve transparency.

"Chabahar Port, located in southeastern Iran, provides strategic access for landlocked countries to international waters. The port is connected to Iran's railway network and will soon become accessible to countries in the region at a low cost and without obstacles," she said.