Iran’s company Golden Line has expressed its readiness to invest in the port-type SEZ Lotos in the Astrakhan Region and to join hands with PLC Caspiy LLC, anchor resident of SEZ Lotos, in establishment of a transport and logistics center in the interest of Russia and Iran.
According to the press center of the regional government, an agreement on cooperation has been signed in Moscow between SEZ Lotos JSC and Mir Business Club LLC. The document has been signed by Sergey Milushkin, General Director of SEZ Lotos JSC, and Oleg Akulinichev, General Director of Mir Business Club LLC.
The parties are set to cooperate in order to promote economic, commercial and industrial deals, financial operations, transit, port services and cargo transportation by the North-South international transport corridor (ITC).
Mir Business Club was established in July 2022 by Mir Business Bank JSC under the aegis of the Embassy of Iran in the Russian Federation and RF Ministry of Economic Development for an exchange of economic information, marketing and legal support of business relation between the two countries as well as for assistance in financing and logistic operations between Russia and Iran.
Sergey Milushkin reminded about close relations with special economic zones of Iran and about readiness of SEZ Lotos to start accepting containers from Iran and those from India which transit Iran from late 2023.
A Decree on establishment of a 644-hectare special port economic zone (Port SEZ) in the Limansky District of the Astrakhan Region (document No 1792) was signed by RF Government on 7 November 2020. The managing company of the Port SEZ is SEZ Lotos JSC. The project is being implemented in pursuance of the presidential order on development of the International Transport Corridor “Sever-Yug” (“North-South”) and social and economic development of the Astrakhan Region.
Total investments into the project are expected to exceed RUB 27 billion. Annua cargo turnover is expected to make about 8 million tonnes by 2031.
North-South international transport corridor (ITC) is a 7,200-kilometre-long transport artery from St Petersburg to ports in Iran and India. North-South ITC has a western and an eastern branch, both running across Iran. The western one foresees cargo transportation by road via Rasht, the eastern one – by railway. The end point in Iran is the port of Bandar Abbas from which cargo can be delivered to India by sea. The western branch also crosses Azerbaijan, the eastern one – Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Besides, direct water transportation from Russia to Iran by the Caspian Sea is possible.