The Iranian Ambassador to Russia considers the holding of the First Caspian Governors’ Forum as a symbol of Iran’s power in organizing coastal cooperation and managing regional developments. He stated, “Today, the Caspian Sea is a stage for the convergence of nations, and Guilan is at the center of these equations.”
According to the Public Relations Office of the Guilan Governor’s office, Kazem Jalali, the Iranian Ambassador to Russia, emphasized the importance of Guilan’s initiative in hosting the First Caspian Governors’ Forum. He considered this event a different and unique step in strengthening the convergence of the five coastal countries. He stated, “This forum can open a new path for economic, communication, and regional cooperation among the Caspian coastal provinces.”
Appreciating the initiative of the Guilan Governor and the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the formation of this meeting, he said, “The Caspian coastal provinces have cooperated with each other throughout history. But today, in order to strengthen these relations, it is necessary for the provinces to stand together and define joint projects.”
Emphasizing that Guilan hosting the coastal provinces of the Caspian member states is a great initiative that can yield serious results in the field of cooperation, especially in the economic field, the Iranian ambassador to Russia added, “Guilan is the point of contact among Iran and Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation. Important ground, rail, and sea routes have passed through this province in the historical past.”
Jalali considered Guilan’s role in completing the North-South Corridor to be very important. He stated that, “Guilan’s role in the North-South Corridor is also very decisive, both in the middle branch that crosses the Caspian Sea and in the western branch that connects Iran to Azerbaijan and Russia through Guilan.”
He considered the Rasht-Astara railway connection to be the missing link in the North-South Corridor. He said, “There are railway lines from St. Petersburg to the Persian Gulf, and only 164-kilometer distance from Rasht to Astara has not been completed. The Iranian government has been trying to provide the required pieces of land, and this line the entire project will be completed with the participation of Russian investment.”
The Iranian ambassador to Russia emphasized that Guilan is the frontline of Iran’s connection with its northern neighbors and the future route to Europe. He added, “the First Caspian Governors’ Forum can give new impetus to economic and regional cooperation and make Guilan’s pivotal role more visible than ever before.”
Jalali also mentioned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ new policy on developing provincial cooperation with other countries, especially Russia. He said, “Russia has more than 85 provinces, and the capacity for sisterhood and direct cooperation among the provinces of the two countries is very extensive. Each of these provinces is even larger than some small countries, and provincial cooperation can bring significant achievements.”
Referring to the pivotal role of Guilan province in the convergence of the Caspian bordering countries, he stated, “The Caspian Sea is a sea of peace, security, cooperation, and brotherhood. The 16 governorates located on the shores of this sea in Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan have important capacities for expanding cooperation.”
The Iranian ambassador to Russia considered one of the important functions of these provinces to be commodity exchanges. He said, “These provinces can exchange their goods with each other and are also the transit route for goods from the countries of the region.”
Referring to the neglected tourism potential in the Caspian, Jalali stated, “If Caspian Sea tourism is activated, the people of the five countries can freely visit each other, and this will play an important role in increasing the recognition, interaction, and closeness of the nations.”
Reviewing the historical past of the four Caspian bordering countries that were previously members of the Soviet Union, he noted, “During the Soviet era, people-to-people contacts with the countries of the region were weakened and severed due to severe restrictions. But today, we need to make up for this historical gap, and the Caspian Forum can be the starting point for new momentum in people-to-people and economic relations.”
The Iranian ambassador to Russia emphasized the importance of Guilan hosting this forum, adding, “Guilan, with its warm-hearted people and significant role in Iran’s history, is hosting an event today whose initiative was formed in the province and can highlight Guilan’s regional position more than ever.”
According to Jalali, as previously mentioned, Guilan is the connection point among Iran and Azerbaijan and Russia. With the completion of the North-South Corridor, this province will also become the country’s gateway to Europe.
Stating that Guilan’s role in national development is unparalleled, he added that, “The North-South Corridor and an important part of Iran’s economic interactions pass through Guilan. This is not limited to the development of the province, but its effects can be seen in the entire country.”
