From Mumbai to Moscow, goods are transported in 40 days: if the canal is dug, it will take 14

Official Moscow and Tehran have begun negotiations on digging a canal for ships that would go from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf, Iran's ambassador to Russia, Mehdi Sanaji, said in St. Petersburg.

"Yes, this is an issue that is being discussed," he said, without providing additional details, reports Raša Tudej.

The Caspian Sea is the largest closed sea on earth. Its coastline is 7.000 kilometers long and borders Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan.

"Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran have agreed to speed up negotiations on the construction of the North-South transport corridor," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, adding that one part of it will go along the western coast of the Caspian Sea, from Russia through Azerbaijan to Iran.

The North-South Corridor, once built, could significantly reduce cargo transport times from India to Central Asia and Russia.

It currently takes about 40 days to deliver goods from Mumbai to Moscow, and the new route will allow that time to be reduced to 14 days.

The corridor will also bypass the overloaded and expensive Suez Canal, according to RT.