Page 51 - IRANRptNov21

Iranian company to build bridge between Armenia, Georgia
Iran working to launch Caspian Sea shipping lines to Russia and Kazakhstan
Transport Corridor (INSTC), a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road routes for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.
Uzbekistan plans to hold a second trilateral meeting with Iran and India to discuss joint use of Chabahar port on Iran's Makran coast on the Gulf of Oman, according to Uzbek deputy minister for foreign affairs Furkat Sidikov. Given the potential importance that Chabahar could also have for the economic development of Afghanistan, the former US Trump administration refrained from placing sanctions on its development.
An Iranian company has been selected to build a transit bridge connecting Georgia and Armenia, ILNA reported on October 18.
Tehran has been working with Armenia to make adjustments to the route running from Iran to Armenia, Georgia and onwards to Russia that would mean trucks do not have to briefly cross Azerbaijani territory. Azerbaijan, still in dispute with Armenia over borders, has impounded several trucks found crossing its territory en route to Armenia and has hit others with a road "tax". Head of the Iran-Armenia Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hervik Yarijanian said the bridge could speed up the transiting of goods from Armenia to other countries.
Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) for cooperation in launching shipping lines from northern ports on the Caspian Sea coasts to Russia and Kazakhstan, the Tehran Times has reported.
Based on the MoU, in the first phase six lines would be launched from northern ports of Iran to Astrakhan and Makhachkala in Russia and Aktau in Kazakhstan as of October 23, the TPO website was reported as saying reported. In the second phase, by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (late March 2022) the number of lines would increase to eight.
Khazar Shipping Company will reportedly transport export goods on a regular and monthly basis on behalf of IRISL.
Regional trade has gained in importance for Iran since the US re-introduced heavy sanctions against Tehran in 2018, throwing massive obstacles in the way of trade with the West in particular.
The newspaper report also referred to planning under way to establish regular shipping lines to the Persian Gulf countries as well as African countries. Previous local media reports have told how TPO, as well as Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) and foreign ministry, are working to enable the acquisition of roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) vessels for the lines. Iran relies on Russian ro-ro ships on Caspian Sea routes.
9.1.5 Tourism sector news
Iran set to resume issuing tourist visas in late October
Iran will later this month resume issuing tourist visas, Iran’s Minister for Tourism and Cultural Heritage Ezatollah Zarghami has announced, according to Mehr News.
Tourism to Iran has all but come to a halt given the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that started early last year, with tourism visas issued to foreigners outside the country mostly postponed and the visa-on-arrival scheme frozen at all airports. But with a redoubled drive to vaccinate Iranians against coronavirus, the prospect of allowing foreign tourists to visit became feasible, officials have said.
51 IRAN Country Report November 2021 www.intellinews.com