Eslami made the remarks on Tuesday in a meeting with Azeri Minister of Economy and Industry Shahin Mustafayev.
After touring Astara Railway, he added that the noticeable rise in economic relations of Iran and Azerbaijan was due to good relations among the officials and inauguration of Astara-Astara Railway.
“Iran-Azerbaijan railroad has exposed the two countries’ capacities,” Eslami said, noting that inauguration of Qazvin-Rasht and Rasht-Astara railroad and Azerbaijan-Iran highway will create a dramatic change in the two countries’ trade exchanges.
“Over the past five years, some 12 meetings have been held between the two countries’ presidents, indicating political resolve of the two countries for promoting relations,” he recounted.
Azeri Minister of Economy, for his part, said that his country intends to connect Astara-Baku autobahn to Iran’s Astara and primary studies thereof have earlier been conducted.
The deal to build the autobahn will be concluded during the next meeting of the two countries’ presidents, he said.
Mustafayev further noted that Azerbaijan Republic supports joint economic projects with Iran and meeting of Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Cooperation will be held in Baku.
In relevant remarks in late March, President Hassan 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."
Source: Farsnews - Date: (26 December 2018)