Closer Iran-Azerbaijan Ties to Serve Regional Interests: Rouhani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani highlighted the importance of efforts to promote bilateral ties between Tehran and Baku and said the relationship is beneficial not only to both nations but also to the region.
“With the efforts of senior officials of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the bilateral relations between the two countries have progressed to a satisfying level,” Rouhani said at a meeting with his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, in Baku on Thursday night on the sidelines of the 18th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement.
The deepening of the bilateral ties and cooperation is beneficial not only to both nations but also to the region, he noted.
Rouhani further praised the effective role of the Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission in boosting cooperation between the two countries and said, “In the area of industrial cooperation and automotive industry, grounds are provided for the good cooperation and Iran is also ready to construct power plants in the Republic of Azerbaijan.”
Rouhani also underlined the importance of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and said Iran and Azerbaijan have had very good cooperation in the INSTC project and Tehran hopes that its final phases are constructed more quickly.
Aliyev, for his part, described Rouhani’s visit to Baku as a good opportunity for the development of bilateral relations.
“The deep cultural and historical commonalities between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan have paved the ground for closer cooperation and of course, the cooperation has considerably increased in your term in office,” he told Rouhani.
Heading a high-ranking delegation, Rouhani arrived in Baku to address the 18th NAM Summit, slated for October 25-26 in the Azeri capital, and explain the Islamic Republic’s positions on important regional and international issues.
The preparatory senior officials meeting of the NAM summit was held on October 21-22 and the two-day preparatory ministerial meeting was held on Wednesday and Thursday.
Host Azerbaijan will formally take over the chairmanship of NAM for the next three years at the Baku Summit.
Iran and Azerbaijan have ramped up efforts in recent years to forge a closer partnership in various areas.
In 2016, Aliyev paid an official visit to Tehran, during which the two sides signed 11 memorandums of understanding and agreements to promote mutual cooperation in a range of areas.