Sputnik News- India has pitched the idea of a transport corridor to Iran, Russia, the Caucasus region and Central Asia as an alternative to China�s �One Belt, One Road� project.

The proposed corridor, dubbed North-South, would stretch to�Russia via�Iran and connect the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean with�the Caspian Sea, thus making the Islamic Republic a key player in�the region.

In an interview with�Sputnik Persian, Iranian political analyst Pir Mohammad Mollazehi spoke about�the potential benefits the�North-South project�promised Iran and Russia.
�What makes the North-South corridor so important is that it would bring transportation costs and travel time down�by 30 percent. It is with�these considerations in�mind that Iran, Russia and India are now discussing the use of�the Chabahar or Bender Abbas ports to�bring cargoes to�the Iranian ports on�the Caspian Sea,� Pir Mohammad Mollazehi said.


He added that India was also looking for�a way to�deliver its goods by�rail or by�road to�Russia and Europe.

�They could also build a railway between�Chabahar and Bender Abbas to�haul cargoes to�Khorasan and further on�to Central Asia. We expect India to�get more actively involved in�this project and invest more in�the development of�the Chabahar port, which is a gateway to�Afghanistan and Central Asia,� Pir Mohammad Mollazehi noted.

�On the other hand, India also needs a transport corridor to�Russia and Europe. Russia would be able to�deliver its goods via�the North-South corridor faster and cheaper. This corridor could thus be used by�all our three countries,� he added.

China's "One Belt, One Road"�strategy was launched in�2013 and is aimed at�developing infrastructure and strengthening ties between�the Eurasian countries, focusing on�the land-based Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road.

In May 2015, Russia and China signed an agreement aimed at�the combination of�integration efforts of�both the Eurasian Economic Union and the Silk Road project.