Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasised at a press conference following the UN Security Council meeting that Moscow considers the development of a North-South corridor to connect India and Russia.

This corridor would use railways, road transport and maritime transport to link Russia and possibly other European countries with ports on India’s west coast. By ensuring efficient and reliable delivery of goods, the corridor would facilitate trade from the Baltic Sea to the Persian Gulf.

Lavrov admitted that the North-South international transport corridor will pass through Azerbaijan, Iran and onwards to India.

At present, trade between India and Russia is mainly conducted via the Suez Canal or the longer route around Africa.

The Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) and the Northern Sea Route (NSR) are being considered as other alternatives. This is reported by
IANS, a partner of TV BRICS.

The Eastern Sea Corridor, which is expected to come into use soon, would connect ports in eastern India to the far east of Russia via the Strait of Malacca, the South China Sea and the Sea of Japan. Officials from both countries met in Chennai to discuss the EMC, including its connection to Vladivostok and other ports.

The route is estimated to be 40 per cent shorter than the western route, which would reduce the travel time between India and Russia to less than 20 days for ships. Lavrov also emphasised the importance of the Northern Sea Route, saying that it was of interest to both India and China.

“India is very interested in developing the Northern Sea Route. So is China. The Northern Sea Route is in direct competition with all other routes, gaining one-third the time compared to the same route through the Suez Canal”

Sergey Lavrov Russian Foreign Minister

The viability of this route through the Arctic region depends on global warming, as warmer seas would allow year-round navigation through the Arctic Ocean, the Barents Sea and the Bering Sea.

Photo: Official website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs