Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian leader Ebrahim Raisi witnessed the signing of a deal to finance and build an Iranian railway line as part of the North–South Transport Corridor that involves more than a dozen countries.

• The Rasht-Astara railway is seen as an important link in the corridor, intended to connect India, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan and other countries by rail and sea.
• Russia said the project can rival the Suez Canal as a trade route. He also said the 162km railway along the Caspian Sea coast would help to connect Russian ports on the Baltic Sea with Iranian ports in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf.