Pakistan is asking to enter the corridor

“We are ready and very eager to become one of Russia's key partners in the North-South international transportation corridor, said during the recently held forum “ITC North-South. Rapid Access to Premium Markets in Iran, East, South Asia, East Africa and India”, Jawad Rehman Shehria, President of the Business Association for Cooperation with Pakistan, said.

According to him, not only Pakistani business circles but also the government are interested in such cooperation. Pakistan is ready to supply textiles, agricultural goods, medical instruments, leather goods, sports equipment to Russia and CIS. The Pakistani side wants to receive primarily energy resources from Russia. 

The issue of the test launch of container trains from Pakistan via the North-South ITC was discussed this week by Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit and Sardar Leghari, co-chairman of the Russian-Pakistani intergovernmental commission and Minister of Energy of Pakistan. A memorandum on this issue was signed in June this year, and a working group was formed at the same time. 

The Quetta-Taftan railroad, which connects the country's interior with the Iranian-Pakistani border, could be used to deliver cargo from Pakistan via the North-South ITC, believes Alexander Karavaev, an expert at the Caspian Institute for Strategic Studies. According to Pakistani press reports, Russia may take part in the modernization of this branch. 

Russia is also interested in Pakistan joining the North-South corridor. “We have long been talking about the need to scale the North-South ITC and attract interested countries to participate,” says Natalia Zadonskaya, head of the International Cooperation and Logistics Department of the Directorate of International Transport Corridors. She notes that the possibilities of railway infrastructure and organization of transportation both from the Pakistani and Iranian sides “require elaboration”. But there is potential interest in the use of this route by Russian companies.