Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Omani counterpart Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah have stressed the importance of the North-South Corridor

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Omani counterpart Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah have stressed the importance of the North-South Corridor, which will facilitate the transportation of goods from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf.

During a meeting in Tehran on Sunday, the two diplomats surveyed the current level of ties between Iran and Oman in diverse areas, and expressed satisfaction with the development of the railway project.

Alawi is accompanying Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said on his three-day visit to Iran.

Zarif voiced Iran’s preparedness to further expand cooperation with Oman, expressing hope that Sultan Qaboos’ visit to the Islamic Republic can pave the ground for enhanced relations between Teheran and Muscat in various fields.

The Iranian foreign minister also stressed the need for the completion of the North-South Corridor and the benefits that the cargo transit project can offer to the region.

Zarif also hailed the talks and cooperation between Iranian and Omani officials in the fields of energy, gas and trade.

Alawi, for his part, pointed to the strong relations between the two countries, and expressed Muscat’s eagerness to expand and consolidate such relations.

He, too, highlighted the importance of the North-South trade corridor, and described Iran as the regional focal point for the transit of commodities.

The North-South Corridor will link Uzen in Kazakhstan with Gyzylgaya-Bereket-Etrek in Turkmenistan and end at Gorgan in the Iranian province of Golestan. Then it will be connected to Iran’s national rail network, making its way to the Persian Gulf ports.

The 900-kilometer railroad will facilitate the transportation of goods from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf, and will also link Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to Iran. Once completed, three to five million tons of cargo will be transported through the route annually. The figure could reach to as high as 12 million tons.

In May, Iran officially inaugurated the segment of the railroad connecting Gorgan to the town of Incheh Borun along the border with Turkmenistan.