Azerbaijani president to visit Iran in near future

A senior Iranian diplomat says Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev would pay an official visit to Iran in the near future to discuss expansion of Tehran-Baku ties.

“Azerbaijan’s president will soon travel to Iran and issues pertained to borders and problems on the path to signing mutual agreements will be addressed during the negotiations,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific and Commonwealth Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour said in Iran’s northwestern border city of Jolfa on Sunday, IRNA reported.

He also praised development projects carried out in Aras Free Trade Zone on the border with the Republic of Azerbaijan, stating that the Iranian Foreign Ministry will render the necessary support to improve investment and economic activities in the border region.

The administration of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has been seeking to improve ties with Iran’s neighbors, including Azerbaijan.

In a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart in January, Rouhani said that Iran is ready to forge closer energy ties with the Republic of Azerbaijan and transfer its expertise in oil and gas exploration and extraction to its northern neighbor.

He added that Iran and Azerbaijan share numerous affinities and this is why Azerbaijan’s progress is very important for Iran.

The Iranian president said that the further enhancement of trade and economic relations between Tehran and Baku can cement the interactions between the two neighboring countries.