Baku. TurkicWorld:

President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi and his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin have discussed the situation in the Caucasus, TurkicWorld reports.

President Raisi noted that Iran considers the participation of forces outside the region in the region as a threat to all countries in the region.

"We are sensitively and seriously following the events in the Caucasus region. We believe that the conflicts in the Caucasus can be settled by effective steps of the countries of the region," he said.

The presidents of the two countries noted the importance of accelerating bilateral trade and economic agreements and called the Tehran-Moscow cooperation model in regard with the North-South Transport Corridor a successful example for mutual understanding between the two countries.

Earlier this year, Russia and Iran have signed an agreement on the construction of one significant part of the North-South Corridor - a railway section between Rasht and Astara, which passes through Azerbaijan.

According to the agreement, the construction of this railway will cost the Russian side 1.6 billion euros. The railway is planned to be put in operation within 48 months.

The Rasht-Astara line will be approximately 170 km long. It is needed to connect the landlocked sections of the North-South International Transport Corridor, which will enhance the economic efficiency of the Trans-Caspian route. The railway line is expected to be built with the participation of Moscow and Tehran, while the Astara (Iranian city) - Astara (Azerbaijani city) line will involve Moscow, Tehran, and Baku.