​Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan showing interest to participate in INSTC: ​Vladimir Putin

Russia is implementing the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), and there are agreements with all participants in the process – Iran and Azerbaijan, while Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan are showing interest, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

“We have agreements with all participants in this process – there are relevant documents with Iran, with Azerbaijan, and now I will meet with President Aliyev within the framework of the CIS summit in Kyrgyzstan. We will definitely talk about this topic. Azerbaijan has many current problems, but no one is giving up on this project. Turkmenistan is also showing interest, and Kazakhstan on the other hand,” Putin said during a speech at the plenary session of the Russian Energy Week.

He also noted that preparations for the implementation of the INSTC are being completed and for this a consortium led by VTB Bank is being created.


“When this practically begins, you know, we will now create a consortium led, in my opinion, by VTB - Vneshtorgbank of Russia...I hope everything will begin in the very near future,” Putin said.

INSTC is a multimodal route from St. Petersburg to Mumbai and has helped to push bilateral trade since last year. There are three international transport corridor routes: trans-Caspian (railways and ports), as well as western and eastern (overland). In May 2023, Russia and Iran signed documents on the completion of the last necessary section of the railway on the western North-South route – Astara-Rasht in Iran.