TEHRAN (Dispatches) - Senior officials of Iran and Russia have agreed to establish a ferry route in the Caspian Sea to link the ports of the two countries for tourists and passengers.
Iranian Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanayee, in a visit to Derbent, discussed the development of relations between Iran and Russia’s Republic of Dagestan.
During the visit, the two sides discussed the issue of increasing cargo traffic through Makhachkala Commercial Sea Port, as well as the launch of direct passenger and cargo flights between Makhachkala and Tehran.
Among the issues discussed, there was a plan to set up a direct ferry service linking the two states, with the head of Dagestan’s republic, Vladimir Vasiliev, highly optimistic about the prospect.
He said Derbent attracts many Iranians and the ferry service is expected to help facilitate their commutes.
"Tehran is ready to establish sea links with us, and we are ready to cooperate – and everything will work,” Vasilyev told journalists at a press briefing.
He said that Iran’s business community had started to take an interest in Dagestan, in particular in Derbent, with a number of international projects already being implemented and set to transform the region.
"International projects are being implemented in Derbent, there are some very interesting solutions there. The city used to have a billion-plus [rubles] annual income, but now it is receiving four billion [rubles] more from investors,” Vasilyev stated.