Azerbaijan, Iran eye prospects for expanding cooperation

By Azernews

By Nigar Abbasova

Azerbaijan and Iran, the two neighbor countries, which enjoy rapidly improving and friendly relations, are currently considering the issue of expanding bilateral ties.  

Azerbaijan has invited Iranian entrepreneurs to actively cooperate with local businessmen, said Sahib Mammadov, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Economy Minister, while addressing the Azerbaijani-Iranian business meeting in Baku on August 31.

More than 80 local and Iranian businessmen participated in the meeting organized by  Azerbaijan Export and Investments Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO).

Mammadov said that Azerbaijan and Iran have great potential to develop the cooperation in various spheres of economy, underlining that the meeting will contribute to further improvement of ties and expansion of trade relations between the two countries.

Iran’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pak Ayeen, in turn, said that the two countries entered a new stage of development of relations and relations in the economic sphere are developing successfully, as in other spheres.

Chairman of the Agricultural Chamber of Commerce of Iranian North Khorasan province Mohammad Samedi, in turn highlighted certain projects implementation of which is envisaged in the areas of agriculture, tourism, healthcare, pharmaceutics, production of motor cars and spare parts for them.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Iran amounted to $105.7 million in January-July 2016, more than $77 million of which accounted for imports from Iran, according to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee.

Meanwhile, Iranian delegation representing Iran’s North Khorasan Province Chamber of Commerce is on a visit to Azerbaijan to explore the market for more cooperation with the Azerbaijani side, Iran's embassy in Baku told Trend

Iran’s ambassador said that businessmen from both sides should grasp their common grounds to evermore strengthen their ties. He also mentioned that Iranian products enjoy enough quality to compete with other products in the Azerbaijani market, underlining that food and construction products imported from Iran are popular among Azerbaijani consumers.

Agriculture is one of the most important spheres for Azerbaijan and Iran, both countries have a great potential to boost agriculture cooperation. Among the top issues for the two countries in the sphere are joint use of agricultural lands, production of goods oriented for exportation to other countries, leasing of cultivation areas to Iranian farmers, promotion of investment opportunities, and import and export of agrarian goods.

Calling for the removal of mutual trade obstacles, the ambassador said that facilitating tourism, reducing tariffs, coordinating the affairs of customs administrations, and establishing peace at border areas have greatly contributed to the improvement of relations between Azerbaijan and Iran.

Baku will soon host The Iran Project 2016, the second Iranian specialized exhibition, of oil and gas, petrochemicals, construction, energy, utilities and engineering and technical services of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Azerbaijan, which is scheduled for September 19-21.

Azerbaijan's exports to Iran almost doubled to $14.4 million in the first quarter of 2016, while imports increased from $19.4 million in 2015 to $27 million in 2016.

The Islamic Republic of Iran recognized independence of Azerbaijan on December 25, 1991. The diplomatic relations between two countries were established on March 12, 1992.