Iran gives special importance to ties with Azerbaijan
By Sara Rajabova
A top Iranian official has said Iran attaches particular importance to the development of bilateral relations with Azerbaijan.
Iran's First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri made remarks during a meeting with visiting Azerbaijani Minister of Communications and High Technologies Ali Abbasov in Tehran on June 18, Iranian media reported.
Jahangiri said Iran sees no obstacles for the development of relations with Azerbaijan in all spheres, including in the field of communication and information technologies.
Pointing to numerous cultural, historical and religious affinities between Iran and Azerbaijan, Jahangiri noted that such commonalities have prepared the ground for further enhancement of friendly and brotherly ties between Tehran and Baku.
He said Iran gives preference to relations with neighbors in its foreign policy and Azerbaijan holds a special place among them.
Jahangiri also lauded the wise measures taken by Azerbaijani authorities to thwart conspiracies aimed at disrupting relations between the two neighboring countries.
He called for an increase in the volume of trade transactions between Iran and Azerbaijan.
Abbasov, in turn, stressed that the meetings held in Iran were rational and constructive, as the two sides discussed development of economic ties.
He recalled that the meeting of the Azerbaijani-Iranian joint commission will soon be held in Baku.
Abbasov also praised Tehran's position on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, adding that Baku is looking forward to the final settlement of the problem.
Tehran has repeatedly offered to mediate in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which erupted back in 1988 after Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan, with the agreement of the parties.
Abbasov also met with head of IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) Ezatullah Zarghami on June 19.
The meeting mainly focused on mutual cooperation in the field of media.
The sides also exchanged views on technical cooperation and implementation of joint projects in the field of media.
On June 17, Abbasov met with Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Mahmoud Vaezi.
The two sides discussed communication issues such as telecommunications, ICT, and post bank.
They also discussed bilateral cooperation in the sphere of regulation of the telecommunication industry, as well as expansion of cooperation in the economic sphere.
The trip is in line with the recent agreement inked by the two presidents to boost bilateral relations.
Abbasov visited Iran on June 17 at the invitation of Vaezi.
Azerbaijan and Iran have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992.
Data from the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan shows that trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $281.03 million in 2013, which is 6.13 percent higher than 2012. The figure stood at $263.785 million in 2012.
Iran imported $73.347 million worth of goods from Azerbaijan in 2013, while its exports to Azerbaijan stood at $207.683 million during the same period.
Iran's trade turnover with Azerbaijan in the first eleven months of 2013 stood at $470 million ($448 million exports and $22 million imports), Iran's customs administration's latest report shows.