Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced on November 15, Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan have agreed to cooperate with China to jointly build a bridge connecting China and Central Asia and the Middle East rail lines. Mottaki said that this railway from China, from Xinjiang, pass through Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, arrived in Iran in Iran is divided into south, west two lines, direct access to the Gulf South Line, West Line to Turkey and Europe. He said it would be “a revolution in transportation.”
Earlier this month, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan’s Minister of the four countries and the Secretary-General of the Iranian Ministry of Communications signed in Dushanbe, Tajikistan “A preliminary agreement for China- Iran railway construction” According to introduction, Afghanistan has been completed to determine the best path for the construction of bridges and tunnels, and the best location feasibility studies, tower, Kyrgyzstan will be in the next 4 months to complete these studies. Early next year, the meeting will be held in China, countries will be announced in the railway budget spending within countries, also announced the official start. This length of 2,300 km railway line, with a total budget of 4.3 billion.
In the “China- Iran Railway” before signing the agreement, China and Iran has had cooperation in railways. This year in September, the two countries signed an agreement on construction of the railway network in western Iran the final agreement. According to the plan, that the railway will connect many cities in Iran, the future may continue westward into Iraq, eventually connecting Syria and the Mediterranean coastal countries, the Middle East to become a transport corridor. According to reports, the project is expected to be completed within the next two and a half. In which China invested 20 billion dollars.
Iran keen to promote the vision
For the construction of the railway through western China, Iran has shown to be as enthusiastic. According to Iranian media reports earlier this year, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran Central Asia Economic Cooperation Organization summit first proposed this idea to get a positive response from the Central Asian countries. Iranian officials on the building “China- Iran Railway” welcomed.
Analysts pointed out that Iran has been very actively promoting the “China- Iran Railway,” the building is as that which contains a huge geo-strategic value. From an economic point of view, Iran is located in Central Asia and the Middle East as the meeting point of trade between East and West is bound to be Iran, which Iran’s development of transit trade to provide a good opportunity.
In recent years, the face of Western sanctions, Iran to the development of transit transport as earn foreign exchange, out of a major means of economic difficulties. Data showed that the first 8 months of this year, Iran reached 400 million tons of transit cargo, compared with the same period last year increased by 13.3%. Rahimi Vice President of Iran in September this year, advancing slowly in western Iran railway ceremony that the history of the ancient Silk Road, Iran, a major transit country, is a bridge connecting Asia and Europe. Iran should take advantage of this geographical advantage to develop transit transport, if the development goes, Iran obtained from the transit transportation of oil revenue is expected to substantial income.
At the political level, the railway to achieve docking with neighboring countries, actively developing regional cooperation, Iran broke one of the important means of Western sanctions. Connecting the world’s four major regions of Iran, namely South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and Russia. As a country with regional ambitions, Iran’s diplomatic attack on all fronts in recent years, active application to join the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other regional organizations, and develop economic cooperation with other countries in order to attract more countries diplomatic support. London-based Arabic newspaper “Life News” on the comment that “China- Iran Railway” network construction will make Iran and Turkey’s position in the Middle East has been strengthened, and the influence of the Arab countries will decline.
From the perspective of domestic demand, efficient and convenient rail network is also required for the Iranian people’s lives. It is reported that Iran’s “Fifth Plan” (No. 5 5-year plan ,2010-2015) per year will be invested 600 million to seven hundred million U.S. dollars for the construction of railways. The construction of urban rail transit is also advancing into. As the Iranian government will soon abolish transport subsidies, transport costs will be associated with a significant increase. Metro because of its convenience, low cost travel will become members of the public choice of public transport. Thus, Tehran has to speed up subway construction in the government’s main agenda.
Western random button “political hat”
“China- Iran Railway,” the news came out, and immediately attracted attention of foreign media. Johns Hopkins University Central Asia – Caucasus Institute experts recently said in an interview with VOA, “in – Iranian Railway,” the Central Asian countries will gain access to the Persian Gulf to the sea, but also to the Chinese opened up a direct access to Europe’s freight transport channel. For China, the railway is completed, the Chinese rail freight cost to Europe is expected to cut by 5% to 7%. He also pointed out that in politics, the railway also has a remarkable significance, land transportation between China and its neighbors closer distance. “This will reduce U.S. and European influence in the region.”
British “Daily Telegraph” quoted experts as saying that, for China to reduce the cost of transportation between China and Europe, opening up land routes between China and the EU, the political significance greater than the economic significance, because once the military confrontation between China and the U.S. the United States through technical means, blocking the sea lanes China-EU trade. “This is an important step in breaking the naval blockade.” Are the U.S. media analysts said, this is actually the railway through the Persian Gulf is another energy channels, can be “more convenient access to China, Middle East oil.”
Experts said that relations between the West and Iran are used to the link with the political, in fact, want more. Construction “China- Iran Railway” to bring the two countries most directly benefit or economic interests, on the one hand promote the construction of the western region of China, between China and Central Asian countries, trade between European countries, on the other hand can Iran, Asia’s most dynamic region with the link to Iran to benefit from the growth potential of East Asia, as well as commodities go to Iran to build a platform for the world. Moreover, Iran will for cooperation, above all, excellent Chinese and the Chinese railway technology. This shows that after several years of China’s railway “going out” of the practice tests, has received more and more countries recognized.
