“The railway access to the Indian Ocean also needs to be considered. In case of risks in the Bosphorus and Hormuz [due to the US and Iran war], alternative routes may be needed: through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Any options that allow reaching India are suitable,” said the Deputy Prime Minister in an interview with TASS.
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This statement came amid increased attacks on ships and port infrastructure in the Black Sea, which sharply raised the cost of cargo transportation in the Black Sea basin, and maritime carriers began refusing to transport cargo due to military risks.
Wants to help Russian builders absorb trillions
M. Husnulin also stated that the Russian construction sector, on the brink of crisis due to the reduction of concessional mortgage issuance and high base interest rates, will be able to “additionally absorb about a trillion rubles per year” and additionally “increase capacities” if guaranteed construction volumes are ensured for five years ahead, reports “The Moscow Times”.
Due to the escalation of the situation in the Middle East, in July the supply of goods to Russia via the “southern route” — from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through Iran and the Caspian Sea — was disrupted, which has already led to price increases for some goods, including smartphones, transported under “gray import” schemes.
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Railway from Azerbaijan to Iran
Currently, within the framework of the international transport corridor “North–South,” it is planned to lay a railway section from the border city of Astara in Azerbaijan to the city of Rasht in Iran, so that goods can be delivered by land from there to Iranian ports on the coast of the Indian Ocean.
There is also a route around the Caspian Sea through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran, but the capacity of this branch is limited due to poorly developed infrastructure. In addition, there is the factor of the difference in railway track gauge between Russia (and post-Soviet countries) and Iran.
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