Date: 13 Mar 2000
Time: 05:57:06
Remote Name: 24.30.137.96
03/13/2000 BBC Worldwide Monitoring Source: RIA news agency, Moscow, in English 0831 gmt 13 Mar 00/BBC Worldwide Monitoring/(c) BBC
Text of report in English by Russian news agency RIA
Tehran, 13th March, RIA-Novosti correspondent Yevgeniy Zainabitdinov:. North-South, a new transport corridor connecting Russia , Iran and India, may be opened soon. A while ago, the first test shipment of five 40-foot containers covered the journey from Bombay to Moscow in 21 day, having crossed the waters of the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea, plus the territories of Iran and Russia , reported Leonid Turevskiy, director of IRSOTR (a Russian-Iranian company), in a RIA-Novosti interview.
In Turevskiy's opinion, this transport corridor, also known as the "Tea Road", is much safer and more economical than the current corridors that connect Russia with the Asia-Indian region. "The proposed route of cargo transportation connects ports in western India and the south Iranian port of Bandar-e Abbas, then goes on across Iranian territory to the port of Anzali, then to the Russian ports of Olya and Astrakhan and finally turns to Moscow, Kiev, Minsk, Omsk and other possible recipients," Turevskiy said.
According to Turevskiy, cargo shipped in both directions will be packed in twenty 40-foot containers. The project is being implemented by the following companies: Iran-Hind (Iranian-Indian), IRSOTR, Volga-Vaster and Lakor (cargo transportation companies from Astrakhan), and Vagna (Moscow), noted the Russian entrepreneur, who stressed the fact that participants in the project have already signed all contracts and agreements, both general and sectoral, that were approved and supported by the governments of the three countries.