North-South corridor to serve as highway to East Africa — Lavrov
According to the Russian foreign minister, the initiative of President Vladimir Putin on forming the Greater Eurasian Partnership provides for establishing broad cooperation among countries and multilateral associations located in Eurasia.
Further development of the transport corridor will make it possible to establish logistical ties not merely among Eurasian nations but also with East Africa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a welcoming address to organizers and participants of the 3rd Astrakhan international forum North – South International Transport Corridor – New Horizons.
"Russia, the largest Eurasian power, makes a significant contribution to keeping peace and stability in our shared continent, home to several distinct civilizations. The initiative of President Vladimir Putin on forming the Greater Eurasian Partnership is also aimed in this vein. It provides for establishing broad cooperation among countries and multilateral associations located in Eurasia," the minister said. "Our unconditional priority in this regard is to further unlock the potential of the North-South international transport corridor. The objective is to connect North Eurasia, the Caspian region, Central, South, Southeast Asia and East Africa by establishing cargo transportation routes via major logistical hubs on the coast of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean," the top Russian diplomat noted.
The forum will facilitate setting up broad international interaction in the interests of developing this project as a key Eurasian transport artery.
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