Transit corridor running via Armenia and others countries to link Iran and EU

ArmInfo. Tehran and six countries have made a preliminary agreement to open a transit corridor linking Iran and Central Europe, said Mohammadreza Atrchian a transit official of the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to Mehr News.

He said Iran is negotiating with Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece over the issue and has already signed MoU with them.

Based on the new agreement reached between Iran and Bulgaria, the two countries will facilitate visa issuance and ferry services in the course of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and the Black Sea to link the two countries with a transit corridor, said Mohammadreza Atrchian.

The new corridor will replace the Turkish path which has been under terrorists attack in the past months.

The drafting of the protocol of the agreement will be penned and revised in Tehran and Bucharest so that it will be signed in 2016 by the Transportation Ministers of the countries in the corridor.

Bulgaria will be the hub to connect the countries of the corridor to European countries.  Experts believe that tapping the new corridor will have considerable impacts on the whole region developing intra-regional transportation of passengers and goods.

According to ArmInfo's data, earlier Iran had repeatedly expressed an interest in the project of the North- South 556km motorway that will be laid via the Armenians towns of  Meghri-Kapan- Goris- Yerevan-Ashtarak-Gyumri-Bavra and enter the territory of Georgia on Akhaltsikhe-Batumi section, which will settle some transport problems of Armenia.  This will be a four-lane motorway of reinforced concrete extending from the Armenian border and Iran to the Georgian port Batumi. The road corridor will facilitate improving the road connection with the two neighbors of Armenia: Iran and Georgia, providing access to international trade routes and markets.  Agarak-Kapan-Yerevan-Gyumri_Bavra road links the South of the country with the North providing access to "Southern Road Corridor" of Georgia which enables access to Poti and Batumi ports or to the East towards Tbilisi.  Armenia raised $500mln loan from the Asian Development Bank for the project that is estimated at $1 billion.  Eurasian Development Bank is ready to provide $150 million.  Armenia raised $60 million from the European investment Bank.  Due to the project, the overland communication Europe-Caucasus-Asia will be improved. The project will be completed by 2019. It will allow Armenia to soften the consequences of the blockade by Azerbaijan and Turkey and to join the Black Sea ring highway.