Against the backdrop of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's upcoming January 17, 2025 visit to Moscow, during which he and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to sign a strategic cooperation agreement, Iranian media have reported on the Solyanka Port in Astrakhan, Russia on the Caspian Sea.
In 2010, Iran purchased stock in the port, and today it has a 53% share of ownership in it, with 25% owned by the Russian government. During a 2021 visit to the port, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said: "The capacity of this port – which plays an important role in trade between Iran and Russia – must be increased."
Today, Solyanka Port sees the highest traffic of all Russia's 15 ports on the Caspian Sea.
Solyanka Port. Source: IRNA (Iran), September 14, 2021.
This article will present media reports about the Iran-owned Solyanka Port in Russia.
Report On Iran-Owned And Run Port In Astrakhan, Russia: This Is the Most Active Port On The Caspian Sea And It Embodies The Cooperation Between Russia And Iran
On January 1, 2025, Channel 1 TV (Iran) aired a report about Solyanka Port. Daryoush Jamali, the director of the port, said that this port is the "embodiment" of the cooperation between Iran and Russia. He explained that Iran owns 53% of the shares in the port and that the Russian government owns 25% of the shares. The report also explained that the Solyanka Port is the port with the most traffic of all the Russian ports on the Caspian Sea, and through this port, Russian grain, animal and bird feed, oil, wood, and meat are shipped to Iran.
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below:
Chairman Of The Board Of Directors Of Iran's Maritime Engineering Union: Iran's Share In The Solyanka Port In Russia Is 53% – It Appears That More Land Has Been Added To Our Territory
Last year, on January 27, 2024, Hassan Reza Safari, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Iran's Maritime Engineering Union, said in a televised interview that the Solyanka Port is of great importance, and that in the past Russia had not allowed Iran to use it, while today both countries invest in it and Iran's ownership of it stands at 53%.
The following is a translation of key points from his interview:
"This port is located in Russia and belongs to Iran. It should be noted that even though this port was recently established, it has succeeded in bringing about a positive change in this field. For a while now, our container shipping in the Caspian Sea has not been particularly strong, but since this port came under Iranian ownership and it since it has the equipment for shipping containers, Iranian ships can now monitor the developments in the shipping of containers there... In the past, the Russian government did not allow us to use this port, but with this development [i.e. Iran's ownership in the port reaching 53%], it appears that more land has been added to our country's territory. Iran and Russia have jointly invested in this port, in a fashion that granted Iran 53% ownership."[1]
Hassan Reza Safari, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Iran's Maritime Engineering Union. Source: Tinn News (Iran), January 27, 2024.
IRNA: Solyanka Port Is Owned By Iranian Shipping
On January 21, 2024, Iran's IRNA news agency published an article that pointed out that Solyanka Port is owned by Iran and that Iran aims to use it to strengthen its commercial ties with Russia. The following is a translation of thee key points in the article:
"Solyanka Port in the northwest of the Caspian Sea is one of Russia's ports. This is a port which in the past Iranian ships had difficulty entering. But in 2010, Iran's shipping group purchased some of its stocks so that Iranian ships could enter Russia with no delays. Today, 53% of the ownership in Solyanka Port belongs to Iran."[2]
Iranian's Ambassador To Russia Kazem Jalali: Solyanka Port Has Good Equipment And Operations; This Has Strengthened Iran's Economic Interests With Russia
On September 14, 2021, Iran's IRNA news agency published an article titled "The Iranian Port Solyanka – The Center Of Maritime Trade Between Iran And Russia." The article said that Solyanka Port in Astrakhan is in Russia's economic zone and that Iran is strengthening is economic ties with Russia.
In the article, Javad Vaidi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Solyanka Port, shared details about the port's operation during Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali's visit to the port with a delegation that included economic officials from the local government in Astrakhan.
Vaidi said: "According to the official statistics of the local government of Astrakhan, in 2020 Solyanka Port succeeded in reaching first place from among 15 active ports in the Volga River and Olya areas and in the Republic of Dagestan, both in terms of loading tonnage and in terms of the number of docked ships. Over 53% of the stocks of Solyanka Port are owned by Iranian shipping. This port has loaded and unloaded 670,000 tons of goods over the mentioned period of time, and we have earned first place from among Astrakhan's 15 ports."
He continued: "We have a 750-meter-long platform at this port, and five ships can load and unload simultaneously. This port has a loading and unloading capacity of over 40,000 tons per month, and based on our continued investment, we aim to increase this to 60,000 tons per month. This port is fully active in developing a north-south [transport] corridor, and we are investing in its development."
Explaining that Solyanka Port has advantages such as "4,000 meters of rail lines, grain cars, six train lines, warehouses, and silos," he went on to enumerate the types of goods exported from Russia to Iran through this port: grain, lumber, oil, meat, equipment, and machine parts. He added: "Fruit, dried fruit, vegetables, cement, processed food products, textiles, and ceramics are also among the goods imported from Iran to Russia. Over the past year, we have shipped 135,000 tons of oil to Iran, and in eight of those months we shipped 130,000 tons, and this is expected to reach 200,000 tons by the end of 2021."
Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said during the visit: "Solyanka Port has good equipment and operations. This strengthens Iran's economic interests with Russia. Solyanka Port can play an important role in developing and strengthening a north-south [transport] corridor due to its equipment and characteristics. The capacity of this port – which plays an important role in trade between Iran and Russia – must be increased."[3]
It should be noted that the Volga River, the source of 80% of the Caspian Sea's water, is the only waterway in Russia that can be connected directly to open waters, and this is achieved with the Volga-Don Canal.