Vitaly Savelyev took part in the panel discussion The North-South International Transport Corridor: A New Concept. Quick Entry into the Premium Markets of the East, Africa, Asia and India, held as part of the 16th International Economic Forum “RUSSIA — ISLAMIC WORLD: "KAZANFORUM" 2025
Vitaly Savelyev took part in the panel discussion The North-South International Transport Corridor: A New Concept. Quick Entry into the Premium Markets of the East, Africa, Asia and India, held as part of the 16th International Economic Forum “RUSSIA — ISLAMIC WORLD: "KAZANFORUM" 2025
Vitaly Savelyev took part in the panel discussion The North-South International Transport Corridor: A New Concept. Quick Entry into the Premium Markets of the East, Africa, Asia and India, held as part of the 16th International Economic Forum “RUSSIA — ISLAMIC WORLD: "KAZANFORUM" 2025
The 16th International Economic Forum “RUSSIA — ISLAMIC WORLD: "KAZANFORUM" 2025
Vitaly Savelyev took part in the panel discussion The North-South International Transport Corridor: A New Concept. Quick Entry into the Premium Markets of the East, Africa, Asia and India, held as part of the 16th International Economic Forum “RUSSIA — ISLAMIC WORLD: "KAZANFORUM" 2025
Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev took part in the panel discussion The North-South International
Transport Corridor: A New Concept. Quick Entry into the Premium Markets of the East, Africa, Asia and India, held as part of the 16th
International Economic Forum “RUSSIA — ISLAMIC WORLD: ”KAZANFORUM“ 2025.
The session was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, Minister of Transport Roman
Starovoit, CEO of Russian
Railways Oleg Belozerov, Governor
of Astrakhan Region
Igor Babushkin, as well as representatives of partner
countries involved in the project and the international business community.
On 7 May 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued Executive Order No 309, which sets the target of increasing freight volumes along the North-South International Transport Corridor by at least 50 percent by 2030 compared to 2021 levels. This should be accomplished by enhancing the global competitiveness of the routes. The development of the North-South ITC is central to achieving this objective.
In November 2024, President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order appointing Vitaly Savelyev Special Presidential Representative for the Development of the North-South International Transport Corridor. A dedicated working group under his leadership was also established by presidential directive.
Over the past three years, Russia has made considerable headway in expanding the infrastructure of the North-South ITC and organising freight transport along its routes.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that intensive work is ongoing along all sections of the corridor, underscoring the commitment of Russia and its partner countries to continued active cooperation in developing the North-South route.
One notable milestone is the launch of the construction of the 162-kilometre Rasht-Astara railway line in Iran. On 15 May 2025, a formal ceremony was held in Iran’s Gilan Province to mark the handover of the first land plots by the Iranian government for engineering and surveying work.
The construction of the Rasht-Astara line will enable seamless transit from Ust-Luga to Bandar Abbas and allow for the transport of at least 15 million tonnes of cargo per year.
“Today, the North-South Transport Corridor is gaining strategic significance for trade with countries in South Asia and Africa via friendly states in the South Caucasus, the Caspian region and Central Asia,” Vitaly Savelyev said. “Once the corridor is operating at full capacity, the journey from Ust-Luga to Bandar Abbas will be reduced from 30–45 days to just 15–20. Last year, freight volumes exceeded 24 million tonnes, and we see clear potential for further growth.”
