Dmitry Krutoi
ASTRAKHAN, 31 January (BelTA) – Ambassador of Belarus to Russia Dmitry Krutoi told reporters about the state of things with the transshipment of Belarusian cargo via Astrakhan Oblast ports, BelTA has learned.
“Two years ago we had to redirect our cargo, so we used the infrastructure of Russian ports. Astrakhan immediately offered us a transshipment program catering to our needs. They were primarily interested in transhipping our potash fertilizers, timber, and metal products. An agreement on cargo transhipment that we signed was fulfilled. But in 2023, average prices for our main exports dropped, so logistics along the North-South Corridor made such transportation more costly and volumes shrank. Most of the products are woodworking and metal products,” said Dmitry Krutoi.
According to him, there are plans to expand the range of cargo transshiped through Astrakhan ports. “Russian Railways has retained all discounts for us depending on the type of cargo. The upgrade of the port infrastructure in Astrakhan Oblast continues; reloading and transshipment of these cargoes is getting faster,” the ambassador noted.
Taking into account the signing of a free trade agreement between the EAEU countries and Iran, the Belarusian side, with the participation of Astrakhan Oblast, embarked on talks with the largest state-owned logistics operator of Iran. “The goal is to find an effective average tariff for the delivery to Astrakhan, for the transportation to Iran, and for transportation across Iran to northern ports and, perhaps, even ending with a corridor to India. The Indian market is also important for us. Therefore, we must explore logistics corridors and routes to India, including through Iran,” Dmitry Krutoi noted.
