Innovative plan to avoid the risk of Hormuz. A direct railway line is being planned from Russia to India to boost trade. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnulin hinted in an interview with the Russian media outlet ‘Tass’. He said that a direct railway line to the Indian Ocean should be considered to avoid the risks of areas like the Bosphorus and the Strait of Hormuz.
Discussing the possible corridor in detail, Khuslin said that if this railway line is built, it will reach India through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Any route that connects with India will be considered effective. If this railway line is implemented, there will be a surge in the transport of goods between Russia and India. This alternative route to connect with India by avoiding the Middle East will boost trade between the countries of the region. The matter is still under discussion, but if it is implemented, this route will become one of the largest trade routes.
If the railway line is implemented, there will be a surge in the transport of goods between Russia and India. This alternative route to connect with India, bypassing the Middle East, will boost trade between the countries of the region.
It is worth noting that Iran has been blocking the Strait of Hormuz since the war in the Middle East began on February 28. This narrow waterway is one of the world’s major oil transportation routes. 25 percent of the world’s oil is transported through this route, and 20 percent of natural gas trade is done through it. Due to its obstruction, the entire world has had to face great suffering for the last 6 months. It is in this situation that Russia is planning an alternative road route.
Meanwhile, currently, the only way for India to trade with Turkmenistan and Afghanistan is through the Chabahar port. Due to India’s diplomatic impasse with Pakistan, all goods are transported through this route. Recently, this Chabahar port, built jointly by India and Iran, has come under attack from the US. In this situation, if this railway is built at the initiative of Russia, it is believed that a new door of trade will open for India.