Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has said the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the development of southern Iranian ports play an “important and strategic role” for the entire region.

According to The Iran Project,Mokhber made the remarks during a meeting with Alexander Novak, the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, in Tehran on Wednesday.

The vice president stressed the importance of “defining and executing joint projects” with Russia as a means to further strengthen cooperation between the two allies.

“Implementing some of these projects presents an exceptional opportunity for the region. The establishment of the North-South Corridor and the development of southern Iranian ports have significant strategic implications, not only for both countries but for the entire region,” Mokhber said.

The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-km-long network of routes for facilitating transit of cargo between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

Mokhber said that Iranian authorities are assessing the progress of the corridor and the Rasht-Astara railway line, a key part of the corridor in northern Iran, on a weekly basis given the importance of these major projects.

Iran and Russia view the 162 km (100-mile) railway along the Caspian Sea shoreline as a crucial component of the INSTC.

Novak, for his part, reiterated that expanding cooperation with Iran is very important to Russia. He noted that bilateral relations have significantly improved under the government of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.