TEHRAN- Iran’s newly-appointed Ambassador to Azerbaijan Republic Abbas Mousavi said on Thursday that boosting economic relations between Tehran and Baku is a high priority for Iran, IRNA reported.

Making the remarks in a meeting with Governor-General of Iran’s East Azarbaijan Province, Mohammad-Reza Pour-Mohammadi, said that the neighboring states will have an important role to play in the future of Tehran's political and diplomatic relations with other countries due to the cruel sanctions imposed against Iran.

Border provinces of Iran have a crucial role to this end, he said, adding that East Azarbaijan is of high importance as the province enjoys the appropriate commercial, economic and industrial infrastructures.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Mousavi outlined the development of cultural, academic, and scientific relations as other priorities of Iran's diplomacy with Azerbaijan, noting that the exchange of students and holding joint conferences can be effective in the expansion of bilateral relations.

In a telephone conversation in late June, Iran’s Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Farhad Dejpasand and Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev explored the ways for the expansion of bilateral economic relationship between the two countries amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Dejpasand, who is also the Iranian chairman of the joint cooperation committee of the two counties, said, “I hope that with the help of bilateral cooperation, we will be able to witness the expansion and strengthening of economic relations between Iran and Azerbaijan.”

The minister also expressed hope that through observing anti-coronavirus health protocols the two sides can hold the 14th meeting of Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Committee in the near future.

He also referred to the building of a joint industrial park near the border of the two countries and joint projects of North-South Corridor which is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road routes for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

A preliminary agreement on the establishment of a joint Iranian-Azerbaijani industrial park was reached in 2019. Along with a joint industrial park, the two countries will also set up a joint logistics center in Iran's Ardebil Province.

Dejpasand wanted Mustafayev to take measures to support Iranian transit drivers dealing with issues when entering Azerbaijan in the time of coronavirus.

Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Mustafayev said his country has a comprehensive plan to limit the negative effects of the coronavirus outbreak and to support the employers and people active in trade and economy, and promised to pursue all the points mentioned by the Iranian side and try to finalize the projects with collaboration.