Caspian Sea Trade is Booming Between Russia And Iran

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the opening of a north-south trade route between the Russian Federation and the Indian Ocean via Iran a priority for more than a decade. But the project has run into increasing difficulties on both of the two possible land routes via the Caucasus or Central Asia (see EDM, January 4). As a result, Moscow, in agreement with Tehran, is now focusing on developing Russian-Iranian trade via the Caspian Sea (Realtribune.ru, November 30, 2022). This route, too, is not without its problems. Moscow has long…