Centrum Stosunków Międzynarodowych - 15 February 2016: China’s "One Belt, One Road" (Silk Route) initiative reaches Iran

On the 15th of February, the first Chinese cargo train to be used in China’s "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) initiative, arrived in Tehran. The development is quite significant for Iranian businesses, since China is Tehran’s biggest trading partner and top energy market. The plan is to extend the railway up to Europe, linking Central Asia to the Mediterranean Sea via the Persian Gulf. After the Mediterranean, Central and Eastern Europe represents China’s "bridge to Europe" and better relations with CEE states can boost overall relations with the EU. Already on the 26th of November 2015, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang hosted the fourth annual "16 + 1" meeting in Suzhou (China) which brings together leaders from China and 16 CEE countries, forming a platform where future deals are made, concerning for instance the infrastructural set up of the plan. Up to 60 countries may be included in the OBOR across three different continents.