Iranian and Russian officials have held talks in the capital Tehran, discussing a host of issues including the Rasht-Astara railway project, with both sides stressing the need for speeding up the construction of the crucial railway.

According to The Iran Project,Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash hosted Russian Presidential Aide Igor Levitin and his accompanying delegation on Wednesday, according to a press release by the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.

The two sides discussed several issues including transit and transportation between Iran and Russia, exploring ways to boost cooperation in those fields.

They particularly stressed the need for accelerating the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway, a project in northern Iran that will be key to transit of cargo through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

Iran and Russia signed an agreement to build the 164-kilometer railway in May 2023. The railway will connect the Iranian city of Rasht, near the Caspian Sea, to Astara on the border with Azerbaijan.