KABUL: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin says Moscow should seek alternative rail and transit routes to access India and the Indian Ocean while reducing reliance on routes through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bosphorus.
Speaking to the TASS news agency, Khusnullin said the possibility of developing a railway and transit corridor through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan should also be examined as a potential alternative route.
He emphasized that any route providing Russia with reliable trade and transit access to India and the Indian Ocean region would be strategically valuable.
The potential routes through Afghanistan and Pakistan have also been mentioned as part of Russia’s efforts to expand the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).