Iran is now the permanent member of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Iranian deputy Transport Minister, Saieed Rasouli announced.

Axar.az reports citing ISNA.

According to Rasouli, who is also the head of public relations department at Railways of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the membership, ratified during the 70th meeting of CIS in Helsinki, can reinforce Iran's railway transit ties with Middle-Asian counties and facilitate transit at International North-South Transport Corridor.

As he informed, the held meeting in Finland's capital gave Iran and Russia a chance to hold talks about electrification of Garmsar- Incheboron railway and as accorded the two sides are to establish a joint railway company in future to develop mutual ties.

CIS formed when the former Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. It now involves Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as its members.