Iranian Roads Minister Highlights Eight Principles of ‘Iran-Rah’ Initiative for INSTC

Mehrdad Bazrpash delivered a speech during the third trilateral meeting of the founding member states of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) namely Iran, Russia, and India, held Tuesday in Tehran to promote freight transit and catalyze economic growth through INSTC. 

Following is the text of his speech, according to the website of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development: 

Dear guests,
The governing principles of the "Iran-Rah" Initiative, which are in deep connection with the concepts related to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), include 8 basic principles as follows:

1- Multilateralism: for moving towards economic convergence in transport Corridors and neutralizing unilateralism and sanctions.
2- Seeking participation: for responding to the needs and common interests of the stakeholders.
3- Neighborhood-oriented transit approach: for creating transit and logistics opportunities for the neighboring and non-neighboring countries through strengthening transit links
4- Networked approach: synergizing all the infrastructure, transit and logistics facilities of the stakeholders in order to realize the potential capacities of the transit partners.
5- Facilitator: to pay attention to the interweaving of transit, logistics, trade and finance-banking affairs and harmonizing procedures and laws in these fields.
6- Historical approach: reminding the historical relations of countries in previous centuries in global trade relations
7- Smart and technological approach: for strengthening the flow of knowledge transfer, experiences, logistics and transit technology with an emphasis on smart and digital technologies.
8- Flexible and resilient approach: for maintaining the efficiency and quality of infrastructure, transportation and logistics services in various conditions.

Dear guests,
In order to take maximum advantage of mentioned opportunity in order to boost exchanges and develop cost-effective routes along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) through a participatory approach, the basic suggested strategies of this Initiative are as follows:

1- Supporting and encouraging business, logistics, transportation and transit actors in order to develop and strengthen multimodal transportation.
2- Using the capacity of the Coordination Council of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) in order to harmonize cooperation mechanisms and implement the concept of a unified/integrated 
3- Using the capacity of international and regional organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
4- The integrated management of transport and the development of technological transport, with the emphasis on the online platforms and sharing information and data, for monitoring shipments along the corridor.
5- Development of cooperation in the field of transport insurance and increasing the circulation of money in exchanges and financial settlements in transportation and transit relations based on bilateral monetary agreements in order to avoid financial risks and make the INSTC routes more competitive.
6- Deepening strategic cooperation in the field of joint investment in the development of key transportation and logistics infrastructures in order to accelerate their completion and development.

Honoured audience
Almost a month ago, in my speech at the 26th International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, I proposed the Initiative of the Islamic Republic of Iran called Iran-Rah as an opportunity for the beneficiary countries and all actors in the fields of business, logistics and transit, from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a land of logistics and transit opportunities. I pointed out that the word "Rah" in Persian language means both the 'route' and the 'solution'. Therefore, Iran-Rah means that Iran will play a role, both as a route and as a solution, for safe, secure, easy, fast and economical links, for constructive competition and the participation of interested actors in the field of transit and logistics. In this sense, regional and extra-regional countries will have the opportunity to solve a major part of their transit and logistics issues by using Iran's routes, facilities and capacities.

I would like to remind you that from a historical point of view, the land of Iran has played a key role in trade and exchange of goods for centuries as an intercontinental passage, but also opened the doors of interaction between people and marked a glorious record in the history of mankind. In those golden age, in the historical routes that passed through the territory of Iran, there were spirit of peace and cooperation and mutual interests based on the joint efforts of various races, ethnicities, civilizations and religions, as well as the stable flows of exchange of culture, knowledge and experience. This way the great heritage of humanity was formed in these interactions and exchanges, and the ancient works left from that era, such as caravanserais, confirm these undeniable facts.

The governing principles of the "Iran-Rah" Initiative, completely aligned with the fundamental concepts of the INSTC, realize huge capacities resulting from numerous relative and competitive geographic and economic advantages. The most important of these relative and competitive advantages are:

1.    Adjacency of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) with the world poles of energy production and consumption 
2.    Possibility of creating new transit coalitions based on trade and developing a new supply chain
3.    Connection and access to the countries of West Asia, Caucasus, Central Asia and Persian Gulf
4.    Iran as a stable, safe, affordable and optimal bridge for transit
5.    Opportunities to attract joint investment of interested countries in the INSTC in key infrastructures
6.    The possibility of defining and developing multimodal transit routes
7.    The possibility of using comprehensive cooperation of regional organizations