Salehi: Iran is a good neighbor and partner for Azerbaijan

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Monday that the Islamic Republic of Iran attaches importance to expansion of all-out relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan as its secure neighbor and business partner.

Salehi made the remark at the 8th Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission meeting in Tehran on Monday. The Azeri foreign minister and his entourage also were present in the meeting.

At the meeting, the two sides studied mutual ties as well as regional developments.

There are only a few countries such as Iran and Azerbaijan to be so close to each other in terms of religion and culture, Salehi said.

The two sides' presidents are determined to further bolster ties and cooperation between the two neighboring states, he said.

The Iranian foreign minister expressed the hope that signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) would lead to making use of each other's capabilities and potentials in various fields.

The upcoming visit of the Iranian president to Azerbaijan would be a turning point in bilateral relations and expedite expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries, Salehi said.

Membership of regional and international organizations should not run counter to the interests of both nations, he underlined.

Azerbaijan is regarded as one of significant economic partners of Iran as the volume of trade exchange in the current Iranian year hit about dlrs 500 million which should be further increased, Salehi said.

The 8th Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission meeting is considered a good opportunity for expansion of mutual cooperation in the fields of transportation, industry, agriculture, petrochemical, environment, education, sanitation and urban development, said the Iranian foreign minister.

He also expressed the hope that the meeting would open new chapter for expansion of mutual cooperation between the two countries.


/Trend/