Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran agree to create new trade corridors to connect Asia, Europe

BAKU

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran signed an agreement on projects to create a transportation and transit corridor between the Indian Ocean and Europe in Baku on March 15.

“We have agreed to form a new transportation corridor from the south towards the west,” Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at the joint press conference held after the Quartet Cooperation Mechanism Roadmap signing ceremony.

According to his remarks, the Rasht-Astara Railway, which is being built by the Iranian government in cooperation with Azerbaijan, will be connected with the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway, which was built by Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan and became operational on Oct. 30, 2017.

A transit land corridor will also be built, starting from the Iranian ports of Chabahar and Bandar Abbas and extending to European countries.

“Our cooperation supports regional peace, stability and prosperity … We should fulfil the transit potential of our geographical positions,” said Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze.

“Connecting the Persian Gulf with the Black Sea and the Mediterranean is now a reality. It will take a shorter time to transport cargo from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and to Europe,” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said.

Mammadyarov, Janelidze, Zarif and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also signed documents to develop cooperation and investments in several areas such as energy, banking, telecommunication, industry, agriculture and tourism.

The foreign ministers of the quartet also declared that they support the candidacy of Baku for Expo 2025, while deciding to hold the next meeting in Georgia.