DUBAI, December 23. /TASS/. Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian has said at a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev that the construction of the Rasht-Astara railroad is one of the priorities for the Iranian government.

"The Iranian government pays special attention to the implementation of the agreement [between Russia and Iran], and the Minister of Roads and Urban Development [Farzaneh Sadegh] is personally responsible for its implementation," Pezeshkian pointed out. According to the presidential press service, Iran adheres to all clauses of the agreement and is determined to implement it within the previously agreed timeframe.

On May 17, 2023, Russia and Iran signed an agreement on the joint construction of the Rasht-Astara railroad. This line will connect the overland sections of the North-South international transportation corridor and increase the economic efficiency of the trans-Caspian route. Moscow has agreed to provide Tehran with an interstate loan of 1.3 billion euros for the project. The total cost of construction is estimated at 1.6 billion euros.