Iran to boost economic ties with littoral countries via Anzali port
By Sara Rajabova
Iran plans to boost trade and economic ties with the Caspian littoral countries via the Anzali port in the Gilan province.
Deputy Governor of the Gilan province Mohammad Hossein Asgharian said the potentials of this northern province should be mobilized for an effective presence in regional markets, Iranian IRNA news agency reported.
Asgharian made the remarks at the meeting of Iranian exporters with the Gilan province officials on April 15.
Asgharian went on to say that completing the Qazvin-Rasht-Anzali railway project, construction of a new port in the Caspian Sea, and development of the Anzali port are among the administration's plans for boosting the province's transit capabilities.
The Anzali port is one of the most important seaports in the north of Iran.
The Director General of the Gilan province ports Farhad Montaser Kouhsar said the capacity of the Anzali port will increase from the current 10 million tons per year to 17 million tons.
At the meeting, Iranian MP Hassan Khasteband also emphasized the necessity of establishing Air Lines between the Gilan province and the Caspian Sea littoral countries.
Khasteband also said the Anzali Free Trade-Industrial Zone, located in north-south corridor, provides the province with a unique and profitable economic opportunity.
The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) was established in 2000 by Iran, Russia, and India in order to promote transportation cooperation among the members.
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Oman, Syria, and Bulgaria joined the corridor later.
The corridor joins the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf with the Caspian Sea through Iran, and then reaches St. Petersburg and North Europe via Russia.
The Anzali Free Zone is located in the south of the Caspian Sea and includes industrial, trade, commercial, tourism, and services sections.
Iran exported 258,000 tons of goods worth $142 million from Anzali Free Trade Zone during the last Iranian calendar year (which ended March 20, 2013), about 95 percent more than the previous year.
The Iranian officials said most of the trade exchanges from Anzali Free Trade Zone were made by Caucasian, East European, Latin American, and North American countries, as well as those bordering the Gulf and the Caspian Sea.