TEHRAN- During the 83rd meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Transport Council in Baku, the heads of the railways of Iran, Russia, and Azerbaijan signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening long-term cooperation and developing the western route of the International North-South Transport Corridor.

The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the aforementioned meeting, which was attended by high-level delegations from 15 CIS member countries.

According to the terms of the agreement, the three countries emphasized the establishment of a stable pricing system for cargo transportation along the western route of the North-South Corridor, the setting of competitive through rates, and the expansion of joint logistical services.

By signing this document, the heads of the railway companies of Iran, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation underscored their commitment to developing sustainable cooperation and increasing the share of international transit through the regional railway route.

This agreement represents a significant step towards activating the western route of the North-South Corridor and transforming it into one of the main transit routes for goods between Central Asia, Russia, the Caucasus, and the Persian Gulf.

The 83rd meeting of the Council for Railway Transport of the CIS Member States took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 25-26, 2025.

The meeting was attended by Council members – authorized representatives of the railway administrations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, and associate Council members from the International Confederation of Railway Workers’ Unions, the CIS Executive Committee, and the Directorate of the Council for Railway Transport of the CIS Member States, as well as representatives of railway administrations from these countries: Afghanistan; Georgia; the Islamic Republic of Iran; the Republic of Latvia; the Republic of Estonia; the Organization for Cooperation of Railways, and Republic of Poland.

Deputy Secretary-General of the CIS Ilkhom Nematov delivered a welcoming address on behalf of the CIS Executive Committee.

Ilkhom Nematov emphasized the special role of the railway sector in the transport and economic development of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

He noted that the CIS Railway Transport Council is one of the most effective and authoritative structures within the Commonwealth. Over the years, it has maintained its reputation as a reliable and influential mechanism for sectoral cooperation, capable of effectively responding to new challenges and needs of countries in the economic and transport spheres.

CIS Deputy Secretary-General informed the heads of railway administrations about the high assessment of their work by the authorized representatives of the CIS Member States in the Commission on Economic Issues under the CIS Economic Council. He also reported that the issue of the Council’s Report has been included in the agenda of the 108th meeting of the CIS Economic Council, scheduled for December 5 in Moscow.

In conclusion, Ilkhom Nematov noted the active participation of Council and Directorate representatives in the work on preparing the Strategy for Digitalization of Key Multimodal Transport Corridors of the CIS Member States and the Action Plan for implementing the second stage of the CIS Economic Development Strategy until 2030.

The meeting addressed 11 agenda items, including:

– Tariff Policy of Railways for International Freight Transport for the 2026 Freight Year;

– Results of Developing the Plan for Forming Freight Trains and the Plan for Forming Container Wagons in International Traffic for 2025-2026;

– The Status of Mutual Settlements Between Railway Administrations for the First Eight Months of 2025, etc.

The Council meeting was productive, with decisions on all discussed issues adopted unanimously.

The next meeting of the CIS Railway Transport Council will be held in the second quarter of 2026 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

MA