Speaking on the sidelines of the 2nd International Altai Forum on Friday, Kazem Jalali stated, "The agreement (on the project) was signed in the presence of two presidents, and now the transport ministries of our two states are just preparing to put the agreement into practice. We think that both countries have shown their seriousness in this matter, and we are moving ahead."
There are no special problems along this path, he said, responding to a question about how work is progressing on the Rasht-Astara section.
On May 17, 2023, representatives of the two countries - Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev and Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash signed an agreement on the joint construction of this section.
According to the document, Moscow and Tehran will jointly finance the design, construction, as well as the supply of goods and services, TASS news agency reported.
The 170km-long Rasht-Astara railway is designed to link land sections of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which will boost the economic efficiency of the trans-Caspian route.
It is planned that the Rasht-Astara railline will be built by Moscow and Tehran, while the Astara (Iranian city) - Astara (Azerbaijani city) line will be constructed by Moscow, Tehran, and Baku. The cost of the section’s construction is set $1.6 billion.