Accra:Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Farzaneh Sadegh, has proposed expanding regional transit routes and enhancing railway connectivity with Kazakhstan. The aim is to facilitate trade and improve logistics links across the region.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the proposals were made during a meeting with Kazakh Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev. Sadegh highlighted a roadmap for the eastern route of the International North-South Transport Corridor, developed by Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. She called for implementing existing agreements and removing obstacles to bilateral cooperation.

The proposals include activating the corridor's eastern branch, increasing transit capacity, connecting Chabahar Port to Iran's railway network, and developing the China-Kazakhstan-Iran-Europe corridor. Sadegh indicated that Iran had submitted a roadmap for bilateral cooperation, hoping for its prompt signing to accelerate implementation. She also emphasized the importance of expanding road and rail connectivity and called for the implementation of the amended protocol on international passenger and freight transport.

Sadegh invited Sauranbayev to the upcoming inauguration of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway, which is planned to extend towards Sarakhs. This railway is expected to improve access for Afghanistan and countries north of the Caspian Sea, creating new opportunities for regional transit and logistics.

Sauranbayev welcomed the proposals and noted that the bilateral cooperation roadmap was nearing finalization. He accepted the invitation to the railway inauguration and stressed the need to diversify road and rail networks, increase trade, and strengthen consultations with regional countries to enhance logistics links connecting Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe.