DUSHANBE, May 12, 2014, Asia-Plus – The Islamic Republic of Iran has applied for associate membership in the CIS Council for Rail Transport.

Iranian Deputy Minister for Transport, Roads and Urban Development also President of Iranian Railways (RAI), Dr. Mohsen Pour Seyed Aghaei, reportedly signed the associate membership request during the 60th session of CIS Council for Rail Transport that took place in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 10.

Meanwhile, Iranian news agency IRNA reports that Dr. Mohsen Pour Seyed Aghaei held separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan to discuss a number of issues being of mutual interests.

RAI CEO Mohsen Pour Seyed Aghaei and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Yakunin reportedly agreed to form a joint working group to obtain necessary licenses for finalization of Iran-Russia railway deal.

The CIS Council for Rail Transport was established on March 20, 1992 and its members now include heads of state railway companies from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Bulgaria, Finland, Georgia, and Latvia are reportedly the associate members of the CIS Council for Rail Transport.

Lithuania and Estonia participate in the work of the Council on separate agreements and the
International Confederation of Railway Workers'' and Transport Builders'' Unions and Iranian Railways (RAI) have the status of observers at the CIS Council for Rail Transport.