TEHRAN -- Iran and Bulgaria in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) have agreed to promote mutual economic, industrial, agricultural and trade relations in some 15 areas, announced the Minister of Roads and Transportation Ahmad Khorram .

Khorram said the MOU was reached in the 13th meeting of Iran-Bulgaria Joint Economic Commission in which the two countries vowed to implement the articles as soon as possible.

He said Tehran and Sofia agreed to boost cooperation in areas such as customs, banking, trade, industry, transportation, tourism, culture, education, agriculture, post and telecommunications.

Khorram said Iran and Bulgaria also agreed to set up a joint commission for air, land, sea and railway transportation, and pledged to draw up the blueprints to make the agreements in those areas practical.

He said the Iranian and Bulgarian central banks agreed to remove the double-taxation on transportation and trade tariffs.

Khorram put the annual trade between Tehran and Sofia at $ 20 million, and said the two countries had agreed to increase the volume through cooperation between their Chambers of Commerce and Iran's Exports Guarantee Fund.

He further said Iran and Bulgaria have also agreed to establish a transit corridor from Georgia and Armenia to Bulgaria, besides the current corridor that passes through Turkey.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian minister hoped Tehran and Sofia would help promote mutual ties by encouraging official visits between the two countries.