TODAY.AZ / Politics

Tehran committed to bolster ties with Baku

17 April 2015 [14:48] - TODAY.AZ

/By AzerNews - Sara Rajabova/

An Iranian official has expressed his country’s commitment to elevate its relations with Azerbaijan to strategic level on all fronts.

Ali Rabii, Iran’s minister of cooperatives, labor and social welfare met with Ali Ahmadov, Azerbaijan`s deputy prime minister in Baku on April 16, AzerTag news agency reported.

Noting that relations between the two countries and people have national, cultural and religious roots, the official stressed that Iran has always supported Azerbaijan.

“We have been with Azerbaijan during the hardships caused by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Rabii said.

He also noted that Iran was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan’s independence.

Ahmadov, for his part, highlighted the importance of the Iranian minister`s visit, saying he believes it will contribute to expanding cooperation in the field of labor and social security. He also said Azerbaijan attaches great importance to deepening its ties with Iran.

On the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which emerged in 1988 over Armenia’s illegitimate territorial claims against Azerbaijan, Ahmadov described it as a threat to the region.

Iran and Azerbaijan have reached an agreement, which will facilitate investment by Iranian companies in various economic and industrial sectors.

The agreement was reached in a meeting between Shahin Mustafayev, Azerbaijan's economy and industry and Rabiei.

Companies affiliated with Iran's Labor Ministry, including the Pension Fund Ministry and the Social Security Investment Company will be able henceforth to invest in economic and industrial sectors in Azerbaijan under the agreement.

During the meeting, Rabiei called for more technical and engineering cooperation between the two countries in the fields of mine prospecting as well as oil and gas industry.

The Iranian side also declared its readiness to train Azerbaijan’s technical and engineering experts.

Mustafayev, for his part, called for further expansion of relations and cooperation between the two countries, highlighting the importance of Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission’s activities for developing bilateral economic relations.

He said the cooperation between the two countries on oil and gas, energy, industry, finance, banking, tourism, customs, and melioration spheres is developing successfully, stressing that there are also great potential for cooperation in pharmacology, petro-chemical spheres.

Mustafayev added that the opportunities for expansion of cooperation will be discussed at the next meeting of the State Commission in Tehran.

He however noted that measures must be taken against Iranian companies operating in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Speaking about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict - which ended in the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territories and forced thousands of Azerbaijanis to be refugees in their own land, notwithstanding the regular attacks against Azerbaijan's cultural, religious and historical monuments, Mustafayev warned that Iranian companies should refrain from engaging with companies in the occupied territories.

He called on the Iranian government to take provisions against such companies.

Iran and Azerbaijan have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992.

Currently, the two countries are focused on expanding their economic ties, developing cooperation in various fields -- industry, agriculture, energy, alternative energy and transportation.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/139947.html

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