At the 3rd International Forum “North–South Transport Corridor — New Horizons” held in Astrakhan, participants focused on expanding the North–South International Transport Corridor (ITC) through the inclusion of new members and the development of additional routes, Orient.tm reports.
During the discussions, the “North–South” corridor was described as a key logistical backbone of Greater Eurasia and a vital element of its transport infrastructure, according to TASS.
Dmitry Birichevsky, Director of the Department for Economic Cooperation at the Russian Foreign Ministry, noted a growing interest in the project from countries seeking to join it, including Afghanistan. Against this backdrop, the integration of the main ITC route with new regional branches is becoming increasingly relevant.
Birichevsky highlighted that Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and other Central Asian nations are showing interest in potential Afghan and Afghan–Pakistani routes. According to him, the corridor is flexible and open to the development of new extensions based on regional needs.
Central Asian countries, in turn, aim to fully utilize the corridor’s potential by connecting their transport networks to global logistics chains.
Acting Vice-Governor of Astrakhan Region Ilya Volynsky said the region is actively working to boost international cargo flows, including cooperation with Iran and Afghanistan. He expressed confidence that there are strong points of convergence between the parties, especially given Afghanistan’s interest in importing Russian and Belarusian goods.
The main task now, Volynsky stressed, is to attract new participants and expand freight transport along the corridor.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
November 27, 2025