Russia expects that preparations for an agreement with Iran and Azerbaijan on collaboration in the development of railway infrastructure and cargo transportation will be completed as soon as possible, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, RIA Novosti reports.

The Russian leader attended, via video link, the signing ceremony—with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi—of the agreement on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway.

"Collaboration in the context of the creation of this corridor, which we are talking about today, is carried out in close partnership with Azerbaijan. And we expect that the preparations for the cooperation agreement on the development of railway infrastructure and cargo transportation on the North-South route in a trilateral format, with the participation of the Azerbaijani side, will be completed as soon as possible," said Putin.

In this way, the necessary legal basis for the further successful coordination of the three countries will be formed, the Russian president added.