Akhoundi asks Moscow to allow Iranian ships in Russian waters

Iran’s Roads and Urban Development Minister Abbas Akhoundi underlined the need to activate the International North-south Corridor in the eastern and western parts of the Caspian Sea and asked Moscow to facilitate the issuance of permits for Iranian vessels to ply in Russian waters.

He made the remarks in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Maksim Yurevich Sokolov in Moscow on Sunday during which the two sides discussed ways to further expand cooperation, Fars News Agency reported.

Akhoundi described cooperation between the two countries in the railway sector as positive and expanding.

He further urged the Russian side to take the necessary measures to facilitate the issuance of permission for the Iranian vessels using Astarakhan port and Russian waters.

In a relevant development on Friday, Akhoundi and Russian Minister of North Caucasus Affairs Lev Kuzentsov in a meeting in Moscow called for enhancing cooperation in economic and trade fields.

During the meeting, Akhoundi and Kuzentsov called for enhancing cooperation between Caucasus and Iran’s northern provinces.

The two ministers discussed bilateral ties, including economy, trade, tourism, transportation and shipping.

Akhoundi said that enhancing cooperation would lead to a thriving shipping industry in the Caspian Sea within the framework of mutual cooperation as well as commercial and passenger flights between the North Caucasus and Iran’s northern provinces.

Kuzentsov called for more cooperation between Iran and the Muslim majority provinces and republics of Russia on agriculture and food products, arguing that Halal industry is just one of the potential fields for cooperation between the regions and Iran.