Russia Could Use Iran as Part of INSTC for Grain Exports

Russia could use the Iranian territory and its railroad and port infrastructure as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to export its grain and other products, an Iranian lawmaker says.

"With the INSTC and railroad networks of the Eurasian Economic Union as well as Iran's railroad running from its northern provinces to the southern port of Chah Bahar ... one can be confident that this corridor can be a great route for shipments of Russian grain in future ... In future, Iran could be a corridor for transit of goods from Russia, including grain and many other products that are easier for transport through the south," Zabihollah Azami-Sardoui told Sputnik on Thursday. He also said that such transit through Iran is much cheaper than any other route.

The INSTC is an international multi-mode network nearly 4,500 miles (7,200 kilometers) long, connecting Russia's St. Petersburg and India's Mumbai. The corridor is an alternative to the sea route connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean countries via the Suez Canal. There are three routes, namely, the Trans-Caspian using railroads and ports, Western and Eastern both using land routes. - Mehr