Russia, India And Iran look at alternative to Suez canal

Russia, India And Iran Organize Unprecedented Alternative To The Suez Canal

By Paul Antonopoulos

Russ Fort,

2 November, 2018

In November, the three countries will discuss the launch of the new North-South transport corridor.

The Iranian TV channel Press TV pointed out that its extension will be 7.2 thousand kilometers.

The new project will involve both rail and sea transport. The products will be transported from India to the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on the coast of the Persian Gulf, then – to Bandar-e Anzali, on the coast of the Caspian Sea, from where they will travel to the Russian city of Astrakhan by sea, then to Europe by rail.

The new route will be cheaper and shorter than the Suez Canal because the time and cost of transportation will be reduced by 30-40%. For example, compared with the Suez Canal, goods transported from Mumbai to Moscow by the new corridor will arrive 20 days earlier. The new route will allow annual transport of 20-30 million tons of cargo.

Recently, India’s Minister of Trade and Industry Suresh Prabhu has stated that it is necessary to start using the new corridor as soon as possible. The first experimental supplies through the new route were made in 2014.

This development comes as US media recently wrote that some countries, such as Russia, are betting on using climate change in their favor and gaining advantages with its possible consequences.

The Washington Post wrote that with the advance of global warming, the Northern Sea Route may become a kind of Suez Canal to Russia.

According to the article, with the decrease in the Arctic ice cap and the consequent rise in water levels, it is possible that the North Sea Route, linking the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean along the northern coast of Siberia, turn into a kind of channel, which will reduce transport costs from Europe to Asia or the US.

The newspaper also added that Russia will have control over a strategic path, deriving revenue from navigation and icebreaker services.

Ships traveling the main Arctic route in Russia will spend less time on their travels, which makes the route much more attractive and financially advantageous. The melting may lead to the emergence of navigable corridors in the area in question, which can be used by oil companies.