TEHRAN- During a trip to the Republic of Azerbaijan and in meetings with high-ranking officials of the country, the Governor of Ardebil emphasized facilitating the land travel of traders and tourists and expanding bilateral border interactions in the economic, logistical, and crisis-management fields.

Masoud Emami Yeganeh said on Tuesday in meetings held during the Interior Minister’s trip to the Republic of Azerbaijan, referring to the 370-kilometer shared border between Ardebil Province and Azerbaijan: “Azerbaijan is Iran’s gateway to the Caucasus region, and creating the necessary facilities for the land travel of businessmen and tourists will play a strategic role in strengthening communications and developing exchanges between the two sides.”

Recalling the follow-ups carried out to streamline transit, the Governor of Ardebil said: “Finalizing and operationalizing the land travel of tourists and traders will have a direct impact on the development of economic relations in Ardebil Province and even for both countries.”

He referred to the importance of goods transit and stated: “Currently, about 500 trucks cross daily from Ardebil Province’s border into Azerbaijan, and facilitating the movement of trucks at Bileh Savar Customs while observing all security requirements is one of our work priorities for increasing regional trade.”

Emami Yeganeh announced previous agreements to launch a rail logistics yard and described its implementation as one of the infrastructure necessities for developing economic exchanges.

In addition to trade capacities, he pointed to the agricultural capabilities of Ardebil Province and declared the province’s readiness to transfer technical knowledge in the field of modern irrigation to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In another part of his trip, in a meeting with the Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Governor of Ardebil emphasized the importance of the role of border provinces in controlling natural crises and said: “Given the geographical conditions of the region, Ardebil is fully ready to enhance its cooperation with the relief forces of the neighboring country by holding joint operational and field exercises.”

Emami Yeganeh considered the exchange of technical knowledge and the holding of joint training courses as paving the way for increasing the capacity to deal with possible incidents, and added: “These interactions will not only strengthen the operational capacities of the two countries, but will also greatly help deepen friendly relations and constructive engagement between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

According to this report, in these meetings, Azerbaijan’s Interior Minister, in addition to welcoming the Ardebil Governor’s proposals, promised to follow up on the raised requests in specialized meetings and to take the necessary measures to facilitate economic and tourism exchanges.

Also, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Emergency Situations, welcoming Iran’s relief plans, described the exchange of experiences between the two countries as a useful step for better responding to emergencies.

On October 12, the Governor of Ardebil, along with the Interior Minister and several national officials, traveled to Azerbaijan to follow up on the approvals of previous trips and economic issues between the two countries.

Ardebil, with rich water resources, fertile lands, a diverse climate, and capable human resources, is an attractive destination for foreign investment, especially from the Republic of Azerbaijan. Establishing specialized agricultural towns, utilizing the capacity of the free trade-industrial zone, and developing food industries and renewable energies with the participation of Azerbaijani investors can ensure sustainable development and job creation in the province.

Linguistic, religious, and historical commonalities, along with Ardebil’s secure border with the Republic of Azerbaijan, have provided a suitable foundation for strengthening economic and cultural ties, and these advantages make Ardebil a key player in Iran’s transit, economic, and cultural interactions with the Caucasus.

Ardebil Province has a 370-kilometer shared border with the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the active international border customs of Bileh Savar in the north of the province plays an important role in the trade and border relations between the two sides.

In late September, Shahin Mustafayev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, speaking on the sidelines of the meeting of the heads of the Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, stressed the friendly and brotherly relations between Tehran and Baku and said: Despite existing tensions in the region, relations and cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran are developing in various fields, and this trend will continue.

He added: At this meeting, priority issues and prospects for cooperation between the two countries were discussed, and matters related to trade, logistics, transportation, and energy were reviewed.

Referring to the increase in trade exchanges between the two countries, the Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan said: The trade volume between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan has increased, and within the framework of the International North-South Corridor, the volume of cargo and goods transportation has also been on an upward trend.

He continued: In all areas of cooperation, joint projects between the two countries are progressing, and at this meeting, the latest status of the implementation of these projects was also examined.

Mustafayev, referring to some joint infrastructure projects between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, stated: The construction of a bridge over the Aras River, the Aghband-Kalaleh project, and the Astara railway cargo terminal are almost complete, and we discussed the inauguration of these projects with my Iranian counterpart so that we can see them become operational as soon as possible.

In conclusion, the Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, stating that Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan have fruitful cooperation in various fields, noted: The Republic of Azerbaijan is interested in developing its relations and cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iran’s Minister of Transport and Urban Development, referring to the increase in trade exchanges between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan over the past six months, said: Developing infrastructure and removing obstacles are effective in sustaining this trend, and the project to widen the Jolfa–Kalaleh route can increase the transport capacity and volume of trade exchanges between the two countries.

According to IRNA, citing the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development, Farzaneh Sadegh said on Monday at the end of the meeting of the heads of the Joint Economic Cooperation Committee of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan: “Today we hosted Shahin Mustafayev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee of the two countries.”

Emphasizing that relations between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan are friendly, brotherly, and strategic, she added: “In today’s meeting, the issues agreed upon in the joint committee were reviewed and the latest status of implementation of the agreements was examined.”

Referring to the increase in the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries, the Minister of Transport and Urban Development said: “In the past six months, despite the problems and conditions caused by the war in the region, we have witnessed an increase in the volume of trade exchanges between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and we are trying to continue this trend by developing infrastructure and removing obstacles.”

Sadegh, referring to the project to widen the Jolfa–Kalaleh route, said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran is seriously advancing this project, and widening this route can be effective in increasing the transport capacity and volume of trade exchanges between the two countries.”

In conclusion, the Minister of Transport and Urban Development emphasized: “Given the friendly and brotherly relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the ground is prepared for further development of cooperation between the two countries in various fields, and we will certainly witness the expansion of bilateral relations and cooperation in the future.”

EF/MA