Russia plans pathway to rival the Suez Canal

Russia and Iran are planning a major pathway through Azerbaijan that would connect India and the Middle East to the Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe to rival the Suez Canal, Russia’s Sputnik news agency reported.

The International North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC), a multi-model route was among the most important topics discussed at a trilateral meeting held between Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan, in the Azerbaijani capital Baku on Monday.

“Our talks will focus on a flagship project – the International North–South Transport Corridor with a total length of 7,200 kilometres,” Russian President Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying ahead of the talks.

“It aims to provide the best possible opportunities for transporting transit cargo from India, Iran and the Persian Gulf states to Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation and further to northern and western Europe,” he said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said: “We believe that this cooperation serves the interests of the peoples of Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia and, of course, the interests of the entire region.”

According to Zarif, officials were discussing the “final details” of the project.