Railway infrastructure development in the region and insurance of cargo are among the key challenges
Iran can become Russia’s strategic partner in international logistics although today container transit across Iran involves road transport with no railway or fleet of containers available in the country. Besides, safe delivery of valuable cargo is still a problem, IAA PortNews correspondent cites Miroslav Zolotaryov, Chairman of ACEX Group BoD, as saying at the transport conference held by Forbes in Moscow.
“The corridor across Iran operates, although with difficulties including long time and absence of insurance. There are numerous challenges. Therefore, cargoes you don’t mind losing can only be carried (across Iran –Ed.) today while transportation of electronics or the like is not reasonable, in my opinion. Meanwhile, Iran, which has been under the sanctions for forty years, is working at it. The key challenge of Iranian logistics is absence of railways between the southern and northern ports as well as drastic shortage of containers which complicates the transit considerably,” says Miroslav Zolotaryov.
According to him, the scheme of transit across Iran is illustrated by the current delivery from India to Russia.
“Cargoes are delivered via the port of Jebel Ali (UAE) to Bandar Abbas, from where they are transported by trucks across Iran via Azerbaijan or via the port of Enzeli on the Caspian Sea. Alternative route from India is FESCO line including transportation by sea and by Transsib. Routes across Pakistan are under consideration. So far, delivery via European ports is available if a consignee is a European company but this scheme will hardly operate for a long time,” he says.
The expert believes that transit across Iran which has been under discussion for the recent 15 years is getting realistic today due to a bilateral agreement between the states. The sanctions regime which used to hinder the development of transit potential in Iran has turned into an integrating factor now.
Related link:
Revival of Caspian logistics >>>>