Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran meet in Baku to advance North-South transport corridor

Representatives from the governments of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran held a two-day meeting in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on October 13 to enhance cooperation in transportation and logistics.

According to a statement from the Russian government, the main agenda of the talks is the implementation of the western route of the North-South International Transport Corridor project.

At the meeting, Russia was represented by Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, Azerbaijan by Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, and Iran by Minister of Transport and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh.

Border crossing capacity is being increased

The Russian government’s statement noted that Overchuk emphasized the importance of joint decisions aimed at creating a convenient and seamless environment for shippers, exporters, and importers.

Data from the Russian Federal Customs Service shows that the number of international transport vehicles crossing the Russia-Azerbaijan border during the January–June period reached 176,761, a 10% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The volume of cargo crossing the border also rose by 13% in the first half of the year, reaching 6.8 million tons.

“We have increased the capacity of the border crossings fivefold, from 400 to 1,900 trucks per day,” Overchuk said.

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that with the completion of renovation work at three highway crossing points, the total daily capacity will reach 3,000 trucks.

Russia is also constructing bypasses for Astrakhan, Makhachkala, Derbent, and Khasavyurt and is modernizing the Derbent-Samur railway line.

The most problematic link: The missing railway in Iran

The meeting also addressed the Iranian section of the corridor, which is considered its most problematic part. The absence of a railway connection between Rasht (Iran) and Astara (Azerbaijan) necessitates the transfer of goods to road transport.

“To increase the attractiveness of the western route, we need to establish a harmonized transport infrastructure among Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran,” Overchuk commented.

In May 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin and then-Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had agreed on the joint construction of the 162-kilometer Rasht–Astara railway line.

Of the project’s total cost of 1.6 billion euros, 1.3 billion euros is being covered by a state loan provided by Russia.

In September 2025, Minister Sadegh announced that the land for the first 34-kilometer section of the project had been handed over.

According to the agreement, the line is targeted for completion in 2028.

“The project is progressing slowly despite political will”

Mikhail Burmistrov, general director of the Infoline-Analitika company, told the Vedomosti daily that the Rasht-Astara section constitutes a “bottleneck,” stating, “The transfer process in Rasht slows down logistics and increases risks.”

Artur Atayev, a political scientist specializing in the Caucasus, said the situation in the Iranian section is concerning.

According to Atayev, although Tehran has the political will to implement the project, it faces financial difficulties due to sanctions and requires Russia’s support.

Dmitry Baranov, a chief expert at the Finam Management investment company, assessed, “The development of the corridor will benefit Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran; it will speed up transport, reduce costs, and expand trade relations.”

The meeting was held amid the normalization of Russia-Azerbaijan relations

The meeting in Baku took place four days after the meeting between Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on October 9.

This meeting had ended the bilateral crisis that began with the downing of an Azerbaijani passenger plane in December 2024.

Atayev stated that the meeting in Baku was a result of the Putin-Aliyev meeting. However, Rafik Ismailov of the Russia–Azerbaijan Expert Council noted that contacts between Overchuk and Mustafayev never ceased throughout the crisis, saying, “At the Dushanbe summit, the leaders confirmed that economic cooperation never stopped. Therefore, it would not be correct to link Overchuk’s visit solely to the leaders’ meeting.”

The geopolitical importance of the corridor

According to experts, the North-South corridor is also important for the geopolitical balance in the region.

Atayev noted that Tehran is concerned about the project known as the Zangezur corridor, which aims to establish a connection between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan through Armenia.

According to Vladimir Sazhin from the Russian Academy of Sciences, the corridor gives Iran the opportunity to establish close ties with Russia and Azerbaijan.

“This line allows Tehran to strengthen its relations with Moscow. Relations with Azerbaijan are more complex, but the North-South corridor serves as a fulcrum for the normalization of these ties,” Sazhin added.