Motor Rally to Promote Int’l North-South Transport Corridor

Drivers from Iran, India, Russia and Azerbaijan will participate in the International North-South Transport Corridor Friendship Motor Rally to help promote the corridor to their respective nations as well as to the world, the director of the International Corridors Bureau affiliated with the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development said. 
“The rally, proposed by India, is set to be flagged off in Bandar Abbas on April 29. The route forth from Bandar Abbas to St. Petersburg and the route back from St Petersburg to Chabahar cover 5,000 kilometers and 5,500 kilometers respectively,” Amin Taraffo told Financial Tribune.
The official added that participants will drive through Shiraz, Isfahan, Tehran, Qazvin, Rasht to Astara Port in the Iranian territory on the route forth. Rally drivers will go through Astara, Rasht, Tehran, Yazd, Kerman, Sistan-Baluchestan and Chabahar on the route back in Iran.
“The event has been jointly organized by India’s Federation of Freight Forwarders Association and Kalinga Motor Sports Club. The Iranian bodies involved in organizing the race are the foreign and roads ministries, Motorcycle and Automobile Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.”
In this rally, which will take around one month to complete, 18 cars will compete. Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan each plan to enter one car and the remaining 15 cars will belong to Indian teams. Competitors are professional rally drivers. 
Taraffo noted that the event could serve as a prelude to the INSTC Ministers Forum scheduled to be held in late September in Tehran.