Tehran, Baku finalize power plant deal: Iran envoy

The Iranian envoy to Azerbaijan Republic says Tehran and Baku have finalized an agreement on the construction of a hydroelectric power plant during a recent visit by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev to Iran.

In a news conference in Baku on Monday, Mohsen Pak-Ayin hailed Aliyev’s recent visit to Tehran and said the trip heralds a new beginning in the bilateral relations between Iran and Azerbaijan.

On April 9, the Azeri president paid a one-day visit to the Iranian capital, where he held talks with senior Iranian authorities, including Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.

Pak-Ayin further outlined the achievements of Aliyev’s trip to the Islamic Republic and said that during the visit, Tehran and Baku signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) as well as an agreement on building a joint hydroelectric power plant.

“The joint plan for [the construction of] Marazad-Ordubad hydroelectric power plant…was finalized and signed between the two sides during this trip,” added the Iranian envoy.

During Aliyev’s brief stay in Tehran, Iranian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi and Azeri Transport Minister Ziya Mammadov were appointed as the new heads of Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission, according to Pak-Ayin.

The Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan also pointed to Iran’s stance on the settlement of the Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying Iranian authorities reiterated their support for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity during Aliyev’s visit.

Both Azerbaijan and Armenia claim the territory of Karabakh, which is largely populated by Armenians but located in Azerbaijan. The territory is now under the occupation of Armenia.

Tehran has on several occasions offered to mediate in the dispute.