Tehran, Iran, July 11
By Mehdi Sepahvand – Trend:
Today there are very good conditions for improving economic and trade relations between Iran and Azerbaijan, Iranian Ambassador to Baku Mohsen Pakaeen said.
Addressing a trilateral business meeting between Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan in Tehran on July 10, Pakaeen said the present Iranian administration’s policy of improving international relations, Tehran’s pursuit of win-win situations, and a political will shared by Iran and Azerbaijan have improved the chances of growing economic ties between the two neighboring countries, Trend correspondent reported.
After the Ukraine crisis, tensions grew between Russia and Europe, which increased Iran’s chances for finding good agricultural and food markets in Azerbaijan as well as Russia, he noted.
The Ambassador went on to say that Iran and Azerbaijan can cooperate in three areas of transit, trade, and energy.
“Both governments are following a policy to fortify their economies. Here bilateral trade can be a useful tool.”
He added that thanks to efforts by Tehran as well as Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Iran Bunyad Huseynov, now visa issuance has become much easier so much so that Iranian and Azeri businessmen can receive their visas in one day.
“There is also a bilateral agreement to remove tolls for commercial trucks, according to which 5,000 drivers on each side receive special coupons to bypass tolls,” he noted.
He also pointed to tourism as another lucrative industry to be developed between Iran and Azerbaijan. “Each year about one million Azerbaijanians visit Iran. Each of them spends between $500 and $1,000 here,” he said.
Commenting on transit, Pakaeen said as Iran and Azerbaijan are working on the North-South Corridor, the two countries can transfer goods that have been dispatched from India to Georgia, Russia, and even Finland.