Iran's Deputy Minister of Transport, Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Jabbar Ali Zakeri, and his Armenian counterpart (CEO of South Caucasus Railway CJSC Alexey Melnikov – ed.) discussed expanding cooperation in the field of rail transport, according to the Tehran Times.

The meeting took place in St. Petersburg.

The talks covered issues such as creating sustainable rail transport, determining the potential for freight transport along the corridor, activating freight forwarders, and simplifying rail links between Iran and Russia via Armenia, provided that the political disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan are resolved.

After Baku and Yerevan recently reached a preliminary agreement, officials concluded that the memorandum could contribute to the resumption of the western route of the North-South International Transit Corridor (ITC) through Nakhchivan. This would restore rail links between Iran and Russia via Yerevan after a long hiatus.

The parties agreed to hold their next meeting in Tehran in the near future.