TEHRAN, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister for Transport Vitaly Savelyev here on Monday to discuss the implementation of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project.

Pezeshkian said Iran is determined to complete the construction of the INSTC, a transport route linking South Asia to Northern Europe, according to a statement from his office.

He highlighted the construction of a railway in northern Iran as a priority of his administration, saying this railway between the Iranian cities of Rasht and Astara bordering Azerbaijan is an integral part of the INSTC as per an agreement signed with Russia in May last year.

He added that the Russian side could begin land surveying and preliminary work for the implementation of the railway project.

For his part, Savelyev called for accelerating the construction of the railway line in northern Iran, adding that upon completion, the railway would help increase annual goods transport capacity between the two countries to 15 million tons in the first phase.

At the meeting, Savelyev also extended an invitation to Pezeshkian for a visit to Russia early next year, during which Savelyev said the two sides are expected to hold negotiations and sign agreements.

Photo from Aze.Media