Iranian FM Urges Implementation of Persian Gulf-Black Sea Corridor
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Calling for the Persian Gulf-Black Sea International Corridor Agreement to take effect, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said it would greatly broaden the trade cooperation between Iran and the Black Sea states.
The Iranian foreign minister and Secretary General of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Lazar Comanescu held a meeting in Tehran on Sunday.
Congratulating the BSEC on the 30th anniversary of its establishment, Amirabdollahian referred to the huge potential for cooperation between Iran and the organization and outlined Tehran’s capabilities, including in the fields of transit and energy.
The foreign minister also described the upcoming “International Conference of Iran and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization: Prospects for Cooperation” as a good opportunity for finding the areas of mutual cooperation between the BSEC and Iran.
The top Iranian diplomat also stressed the need to finalize the Persian Gulf-Black Sea International Corridor Agreement and expressed hope that the signing of the document and the building of the corridor would result in positive developments in trade and transit cooperation between Iran and the Black Sea region, the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
For his part, Comanescu expressed support for the idea of holding the international conference in Tehran and described Iran as one of the most active partners of the BSEC.
The Romanian diplomat also expressed confidence that under the auspices of the conference, due to be held on Monday, the road will be paved for closer and stronger cooperation between the two sides.
Comanescu also gave a report on the activities of the BSEC over the last three decades and spoke about the adverse impact of the Ukraine crisis on the work of the organization.
At the end of the meeting, Amirabdollahian outlined Iran’s efforts to end the hostilities in Ukraine and reaffirmed Tehran’s readiness to boost cooperation with the BSEC. He also expressed hope that the Tehran conference would be successful.
The “International Conference of Iran and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization: Prospects for Cooperation” will take place on May 30 with the BSEC’s secretary general in attendance. Other participants are ambassadors of the member states, representatives of the UN, the secretary general of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the senior directors of Iran’s private and public sectors at the Center for Political and International Studies of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.