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Russian Deputy PM: Barrier-free environment must be ensured for carriers along North–South Corridor’s western route

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk

13 October 2025 16:31 (UTC +04:00)

Speaking at a trilateral meeting of government representatives of Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran in Baku, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk stressed the importance of developing joint solutions to create a comfortable and barrier-free environment for carriers, exporters and importers within the framework of the development of the western route of the North-South International Transport Corridor, APA's Moscow bureau reports.

"According to the Federal Customs Service of Russia, 176,761 international vehicles crossed the Russian-Azerbaijani border in the first half of 2025. This is a 10% increase over the same period last year. Freight traffic increased by 13%, reaching 6.8 mln tons," he said.

"At some automobile checkpoints located on the Russian-Azerbaijani state border, we have taken measures that allowed increasing their throughput capacity fivefold - from 400 to 1,900 trucks per day," Overchuk added.

The Russian government official said that after the reconstruction of the Novo-Filya, Tahirkent-Gazmalyar and Yarag-Gazmalyar automobile checkpoints is completed, the total cargo throughput capacity on the Russian side will be 3,000 vehicles per day. Projects to build bypass roads around the cities of Astrakhan, Makhachkala, Derbent and Khasavyurt are ongoing in Russia.

Overchuk emphasized that in the field of railway infrastructure, the Russian side is working on converting part of the Darband-Samur state border corridor into a traction system and building a railway checkpoint in Derbent. "At the end of last year, an intergovernmental cooperation agreement was signed with the Republic of Azerbaijan to develop transit transportation along the North-South International Transport Corridor. The implementation of the 2023 agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway section continues. In May 2025, the Russian side began conducting preliminary surveys, conducting reconnaissance of the territory, and work is underway to create a geodetic support network. In order to increase the attractiveness of the western route of the North-South International Transport Corridor, it is important for us to develop a coordinated transport infrastructure between Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran and create equal conditions for all honest carriers crossing the state border," the RF Deputy Prime Minister noted that this work is conditioned by the growing trade and economic relations between Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran.

Trade between the countries is demonstrating steady growth. Russia's imports from Azerbaijan increased by 9.5% in the first 7 months of 2025, reaching $742.4 million. Trade turnover with the Islamic Republic of Iran increased by 13.3% in 2024 and by 11.8% in the first 7 months of 2025, reaching $2.7 billion.

The Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which entered into force on May 15, 2025, has given a special impetus to trade relations. If we look at the statistics from May to July 2025, that is, since the free trade zone with the EAEU began operating, we have already observed a 35% increase in trade turnover.

Alexey Overchuk noted that the strategic goal of joint infrastructure work is to ensure uninterrupted logistics from the Barents and Baltic Seas to the Gulf, which will create the best competitive conditions for manufacturers, exporters, and importers in the three countries.

“This work creates additional opportunities for our economies to expand, creates new jobs, increases incomes, and improves people's lives,” the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation concluded.