Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari has said that Iran has reached good railway agreements with Central Asian countries during the current administration.
He said on Tuesday that during a visit to China, the late President Ebrahim Raisi signed an agreement for rail cooperation which finally helps the cargo transit from China to the Europe.
Safari also referred to the relaunch of China-Iran and Iran-China container trains over the past few days which he said underscores the significance of Iran’s strategic position.
In some instances in the past, the Chinese cargo trains came into Iran, but the rail cargos into Iran did not last long, the official said.
On the reasons for the halt of the rail cargos from China to Iran, Safari said that firstly the lack of an agreement between the countries on the route of the railway hindered the scheme; secondly the cost of railway transit was higher than maritime transit; and finally, the lack of cargo on the way back to China was another reason for the closure of the railway.