RIA Novosti, Russia
Feb 1, 2005
RUSSIAN, IRANIAN, AZERI RAILWAY MINISTERS TO MEET
MOSCOW, February 1, (RIA Novosti) – The Russian, Iranian and Azeri
Railway Ministers will meet in Baku February 6-10, Iran’s Ambassador
to Russia Gholamreza Shafei said at a news conference in Moscow.
Mr. Shafei added that an appropriate agreement was signed last year
and provided for the creation of a branch-line that will link the
Iranian and Azerbaijan railways and, then, the Russian railways.
“The functioning of this railway will contribute to the economic
growth of Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan,” he said.
Mr. Shafei reminded the audience that the railway that existed in the
USSR that linked it to Iran, crossed the territory of Armenia and
Azerbaijan. However, in confrontational conditions between the
Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, that railway “is practically not
functioning now.”
Mr. Shafei also said the head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, Yevgeny Primakov, will visit Iran on February 11-13.
“This visit will contribute to the intensification of trade between
our countries,” Mr. Shafei said.