President Aliyev of Azerbaijan Lauds Friendly Ties with Iran

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that friendly relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan have expanded.

He made the remarks in a Friday meeting with Iranian Intelligence Minister Seyed Mahmoud Alavi in Baku.

Touching upon the high level of ties between Iran and Azerbaijan, Aliyev said that their relations are being successfully expanded.

Iranian President and other officials’ visits to Azerbaijan have a great role in boosting bilateral cooperation, he highlighted.

Elsewhere, pointing to the common culture and history of the two nations, Aliyev maintained that Iran-Azerbaijan bilateral agreements are being implemented with success.

The Azerbaijani President also hoped that Alavi’s visit to Baku will lead to a further boost in bilateral ties.

In relevant remarks in late March, President Rouhani underlined that expansion of mutual cooperation between Tehran and Baku would not be harmful to any third party state.

"I am delighted that with the extensive efforts of senior officials from both countries, we are witnessing the good results of our joint cooperation today; cooperation which benefits not only the two nations, but the whole region," Rouhani said.

The Iranian president pointed to the North-South Transit Route, and said, "This corridor which is contributed to by both countries of Iran and Azerbaijan by putting into practice the Rasht-Astara railway project, acts as a more convenient, cheaper and shorter route for the two the countries of Iran and Azerbaijan, the countries of the region, and even for Asia, Europe and Africa."

"It means that our cooperation is in the interests of the people of the region and the whole world,” President Rouhani added.

He also referred the establishment of free trade between the two countries as a step in the direction of high mobility in economic relations between the two countries, and said, "First, we can start the free trade program with setting preferential tariff for some goods, and this move can affect the volume of trade between the two countries."

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