BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 28. Kazakhstan's
investment in Shahid Rajaee Port, located in Iran's southern
Hormozgan Province, will further boost the International
North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), said Mohammad Shakibinasab,
Iran's Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and Head of
the Ports and Maritime Organization, during a ceremony marking the
signing of an agreement to establish a logistics center at Shahid
Rajaee Port with Kazakh investment.
According to him, Kazakhstan's investment will not only provide
the port with the necessary equipment and expand its infrastructure
but also create new jobs. In addition, it will enhance the
operational capacity of Shahid Rajaee Port and other ports located
along the International North-South Transport Corridor.
The deputy minister noted that the agreement signed between Iran
and Kazakhstan guarantees the transit of 1.5 million tons of cargo
annually through Iranian territory. The project is expected to
increase Iran's share of the regional transit and freight
transportation market, improve the economic performance of the
country's ports, boost transit revenues, and strengthen Iran's
position in international cargo transportation.
"Kazakhstan holds a strategic position in the regional transport
network. As one of the region's key logistics and transit hubs, it
can play an effective role in advancing the International
North-South Transport Corridor. The participation of Kazakh
investors in Shahid Rajaee Port will contribute both to
infrastructure development and the provision of equipment, thereby
accelerating the development of this international corridor and
expanding economic cooperation between the two countries," he
said.
Speaking at the event, Aman Malgazhdarov, Director of the
QazExportPromotion Corporate Fund, said the project had been under
continuous development for nearly a year, and the signing of the
agreement marked an important milestone.
According to him, Kazakhstan views the project not merely as the
construction of a platform, warehouse, or terminal, but as the
foundation for establishing Kazakhstan's own logistics hub at
Shahid Rajaee Port. He added that the project could play a
significant role in the development of international transit
corridors.
Malgazhdarov said Kazakhstan's investment commitment under the
project amounts to approximately $1.5 million. At present, trade
turnover between Iran and Kazakhstan stands at around $400 million.
He expressed confidence that once the logistics center becomes
operational, bilateral trade will increase by at least two to three
times.
Shahid Rajaee Port covers an area of 4,800 hectares and has an
annual cargo handling capacity of more than 88 million tons.
