The signing ceremony of the twinning agreement between the ports of Astara (Guilan) and Astrakhan (Russia) was held during a ceremony attended by officials from both sides and in the form of a webinar.
According to
the public relations of Ports and Maritime Authority of Guilan Province, on
Tuesday evening, November 25, the signing ceremony of the twinning agreement
between Astara Port of Guilan and Astrakhan Port of Russia during a webinar
ceremony attended by the Director General of Ports and Maritime Affairs of
Guilan Province, Consul General of Iran in Astrakhan , The head of the
International Agreements Office of the Ports and Maritime Organization, a
member of the board of directors of Kaveh Company and also the Minister of
Industry and Natural Resources, the head of the Astrakhan International
Relations Agency and the director of the Astrakhan Seaport Joint Stock Company.
Dr. Hamidreza
Abaie; Director General of Ports and Maritime Authority of Guilan Province and
Director of Astara Port Special Economic Zone in this webinar, referring to the
share of maritime trade of the Caspian littoral states, said: “More than 60% of
the maritime trade of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Caspian Sea is with
Russia.”
He added:
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is considered as an important country in the
maritime field in the International Maritime Organization (IMO)." The
development of relations in accordance with the rules (IMO) and the twinning
agreement between the ports of Iran and Russia are among the capacities that
can be effective in expanding trade between the two countries.”
Director
General of Ports and Maritime Authority of Guilan Province, referring to the
capacities of the private sector, noted: “With the presence of Kaveh Company
(operator of Astara port), we are witnessing the increasing growth of this
important port.”
The director of
Astara Port Special Economic Zone, stating that this port has 3 maritime, rail
and road borders, acknowledged: “This port has 60 hectares of land, 280 meters
of berths, 100 ton cranes, a grain suction with a capacity of 300 tons/hours,
16,000-ton grain silos, and 38 electrical sockets for refrigerated containers
and due to its location in the north-south corridor, as well as benefiting the laws
and facilities of special economic zones, play an important role in the export
of Iranian goods and transit of cargo.”
Referring to
the readiness of Guilan ports to attract investors, Abaie said: "We are
ready to accept investors in order to increase maritime transport in Guilan
ports."
Khosrow Saraie,
Director General of Transit, Logistics and Agreements of the Ports and Maritime
Organization, also said: "Both ports have unique characteristics for
economic and transit development, and I am confident that the strengthening of
the private sector in the two ports will cause the economic development of the
two countries."
Sarai added:
"With the signing of this sisterhood agreement, we expect trade exchange
between the two countries to increase from today."
From today, we will see the development of exports of goods and transit
through these two ports
Mehdi
Akuchekian, Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Astrakhan, said:
"With this twinning agreement, we will see an increase in trade between
these two strategic ports of Iran and Russia and as a result the development of
economic relations between the two countries."
He added:
"We expect to see the development of exports of goods and transit through
these two ports from today, considering the joint and special capacities of
these two ports and the increase of cooperation."
Akouchkian
said: "I am sure that with the increase of goods between these two ports,
the north-south international corridor will be operational as soon as possible
and we will see the export of Iranian goods and transit of goods from India to
Russia and Europe and from Europe to the east through Iran."
We are ready for any cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran
Province Dennis
Afanasyev, the Minister of Industry, Transport and Natural Resources of Astrakhan
said at the ceremony: "Close ties between the two ports and common
interests, including Astrakhan and Astara port services; bring the two
countries closer together."
He said that we
are witnessing a steady growth in trade between Iran and Astrakhan, adding:
"Last year there were three million and 30 tons of trade between Astrakhan
and Iran, which increased by 15% compared to the previous year and included the
exchange of a variety goods from Iran to Russia and northern Europe.”
We are ready
for any kind of cooperation with Iran to increase the exchange of goods between
the two sides and we expect Iran to assist in the transfer of goods from
Astrakhan to Guilan.
Anatoly
Ulyanov, director of the Astrakhan Seaport Joint-Stock Company, also said that
Russia has a border crossing the port and that it is possible for transit ships
from different countries to move their cargo.”
He stated: “Astrakhan
has a very good cooperation with Iran, so that we have economic exchanges with
50 Iranian companies.”
Stating that "we
are interested in further expanding economic relations with Iran," Ulyanov
said: “The sisterhood contract is very effective in this regard.”
Importance and economic status of the Russian port of Astrakhan
The importance
and economic status of the port of Astrakhan for the Islamic Republic of Iran
is so important that officials and experts speak of it as a strategic hub in
the field of transportation and supply of basic goods and this region is one of
the important Russian maritime terminals in the Caspian Sea and is one of the
most important river transportation points for trade with Iran.
The importance of Astara port in the Iranian economy
Astara port has
an important role economically in Guilan province and the country and is the
first private port in the country and the fifth active transit port in the
north of the country.