By: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer

 

The strategic geo-political location of Iran, which straddles the trade routes of Asia and Europe, with a further extension to parts of Africa, is all set to pay rich dividends.

The Islamic Republic, which borders Central Asia with its six landlocked countries as well as the Caucasus region, and shares marine borders in the Caspian (the world’s largest inland sea) spread across northern Asia and eastern Europe, is the most safe, secure and shortest transit route to the countries on the rim of the vast Indian Ocean.

To be precise, Iran is the main link of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) – the 7,200-km ship, rail, and road route for moving cargo from Central Asia, the Caucasus, Russia, and several European countries to its east, to the Persian Gulf littoral states, the Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and also east African states.

This vital link makes costs and routes shorter, cheaper, and safer than the long and circuitous shipping lane through the narrow Suez Canal and Europe.

Moreover, the Iran land bridge is secure from the illegal and extraterritorial sanctions of the sworn enemy of the Free World, the US.

In view of these undeniable facts, countries of the said regions have paid special attention to Iran’s economic potential, especially transit and the implementation of the Ashgabat Agreement – a multimodal transport deal signed in the Turkmenistan capital, aimed at easing the transportation of goods by developing the international transport and transit corridor between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.

It is worth noting that the past year has witnessed the visit of Iran’s President Hojjat al-Islam Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi, to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, and the visit of prominent officials of all Central Asian countries, including the Presidents of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan and the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, to Iran.

The six Central Asian countries, along with the Caucasus Republic of Azerbaijan, as well Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, are linked to Iran as part of the 10-nation Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). 

Thus, Iran has spared no efforts to provide transit and access for Central Asian countries to high seas, in addition to cooperation in oil and gas exports and swaps, the provision of electricity, minerals, and agricultural products, while maintaining and further developing trade links with the Persian littoral states, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

It is a win-win situation for all involved except the perpetual losers – the US and its sanction-loving clients of Western Europe.