TEHRAN- The general manager of China State Railway Group Company, known as China Railway (CR), considered Iran an important partner in the "One Belt, One Road" initiative and emphasized the need for coordination to stabilize prices and facilitate customs processes in the Southern Corridor.

Guo Zhuxue made the remarks in a meeting with Jabarali Zakeri, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (known as RAI).

During the meeting, emphasis was placed on increasing the number of container trains between the two countries.

Zakeri, who is also Iran’s deputy transport minister, met and talked with China Railway general manager during his trip to China to attend the 106th General Assembly of the International Union of Railways (UIC) which was held in Beijing.

In the meeting, the general manager of China Railway, referring to the deepening of cooperation between the two countries in recent years, positively assessed the resumption of container trains between China and Iran from 2024 and expressed hope that cooperation between the two railways will expand.

Zakeri, for his part, referred to the historical relations between the two countries, and explained Iran Railways' plan to develop the rail network and increase transit and freight transport.

He also referred to the plans to electrifying and double-tracking the East-West Corridor in Iran from the Sarakhs border to the Razi border, and said: "A contract to electrify about 1,000 kilometers of this axis, with the aim of increasing rail freight capacity from five million tons to 15 million tons, has been signed with a Chinese company."

The official further mentioned the investment of a number of foreign companies in Aprin dry port, in Eslamshahr county, southwest of Tehran city, and invited China Railway to invest in this port.

In July 2024, Iran-China freight train was relaunched at Aprin dry port.

Relaunching this train was simultaneous with launching first phase of the China-Europe rail corridor, in a ceremony attended by Miad Salehi, the former head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, as well as chargé d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Teheran, Kazakh ambassador, and Turkmen attaché to Iran.

Addressing the mentioned ceremony, Fu Lihua, chargé d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Teheran, said the bilateral cooperation between Iran and China has had good results in the past years.

The launch of this container train, while connecting China to Central and Western Asia, is a channel for the development of cooperation between China and Iran and an opportunity for commercial, industrial and cultural cooperation between the two countries, she further stated.

Also, the ambassador of Kazakhstan to Iran expressed his hope that this rail route will be connected to Turkey and the European Union in the future.

Askhat Orazbay noted: “Kazakhstan is a neighbor of Iran through the Caspian Sea and is pursuing infrastructure projects in Anzali, Amirabad and Caspian ports.”

Considering the very long and not very safe route of China’s sea access to West Asia and Europe, the rail route is the most suitable, closest, safest and cheapest option for China’s access to the destination markets in West Asia and Europe.

Using the China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran route saves time and money.

The China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran corridor is the first logistics solution for fast delivery of goods from the eastern coast of China to the markets of the Persian Gulf.

MA