TEHRAN -- Iran's Energy Minister, Habibollah Bitaraf arrived in Baku on Tuesday evening for a two-day visit, aiming to hold talks on expanding water and electricity cooperation.

He is going to meet the Azeri President, Heydar Aliyev, Prime Minister, Murtuz Aleskerov, and several other senior officials.

Iran and Azerbaijan on Tuesday, commissioned an electricity supply line in the northwestern Iranian city of Pars Abad-e Moghan to exchange electricity supplies. The 8.5 billion-rial line is stretched from Pars Abad-e Moghan to Imishli in the neighboring Republic of Azerbaijan.

Under a contract signed between Iran and Azerbaijan, Iran is to supply up to 50 megawatts per hour of electricity to Imishli for four months.

In return, Azerbaijan should also supply between 50 to 170 megawatts per hour of electricity to the Islamic Republic for eight months.

The project terminates a contract signed on Iran's purchase of electricity to the autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan.

Last December, Iran restored electricity supplies to Nakhichevan after the latter paid the first installment of a $45 million debt.

Tehran cut electricity to Nakhichevan at the end of last October saying that Baku had paid just $1 million for electricity supplies over three years.

During nakhichevan parliamentary elections last month, power was restored to the region sandwiched between Iran, Armenia and Turkey, and separated from the rest of Azerbaijan, but was cut off again shortly afterwards.

Iran has been thus far supplying some 60 percent of Nakhichevan's electricity needs, providing 880 megawatts per hour each day.

(IRNA)