North-South corridor capacity to reach 15 million tons — Deputy Prime Minister

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 15. North-South corridor
capacity will reach 15 million tons, Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime
Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at the "Russia — Islamic World:
KazanForum-2026" International Economic Forum, Trend reports.

He emphasized that Azerbaijan is actively modernizing the
infrastructure of the International North-South Transport Corridor
(INSTC), which continues to function reliably and has proven its
competitiveness despite current geopolitical tensions.

According to Mustafayev, infrastructure expansion projects are
currently underway in accordance with agreements reached with
Russia. These projects are slated for completion by 2028, with the
goal of increasing annual capacity first to 5 million tons, and
eventually to 15 million tons.

"The terminal in Astara on the Azerbaijani-Iranian border and
the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway section are of
particular importance, as they will significantly enhance the
corridor's competitiveness by providing direct access to the
Persian Gulf," he noted.