North-South transport corridor necessary amid Western sanctions — Russian MFA
"There is competitiveness, there are alternative corridors, and we should make every effort to win the competition, to make it quicker, cheaper, to make it more convenient to pass customs, checkpoints. All this is being done now," Dmitry Birichevsky said
MINERALNYE VODY, May 3. /TASS/. The International North-South Transport Corridor is necessary amid the West’s restrictions, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s department director Dmitry Birichevsky said on Wednesday, adding that every effort should be made to promote its competitiveness.
"Security is obviously the main thing for normal operation. Whereas we know that we have been under unprecedented restrictions imposed by the West <…> that create risks and threats, for the second year already. It cannot be ignored. <…> The International North-South Transport Corridor is first of all a necessity," he said at the Caucasus Investment Exhibition in Mineralnye Vody.
The Russian Foreign Ministry is making every effort for developing the corridor, Birichevsky noted. "There is competitiveness, there are alternative corridors, and we should make every effort to win the competition, to make it quicker, cheaper, to make it more convenient to pass customs, checkpoints. All this is being done now. I think the prospects of the International North-South Transport Corridor are huge here. We together with the Transport Ministry are making every effort to ensure its further development," he pointed out.
"The advantages of the International North-South Transport Corridor is that all our friendly Caspian countries are around. It provides access not only to India, it also provides access to the enormous region of Southern and Southeastern Asia," the diplomat said.
The Caucasus Investment Exhibition is taking place from May 3 to 4 at MinvodyExpo in the city of Mineralnye Vody. The exhibition is aimed at developing the regions that make up the North Caucasus Federal District. The event brings together key investors, initiators of investment projects, development institutions and banks in the North Caucasus, with experts, entrepreneurs and manufacturers presenting new economic vectors and business ideas, as well as current development trends and strategies. The event is supported by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and organized by the Roscongress Foundation, while Northern Caucasus Resorts is its strategic partner. TASS is the event’s information partner.