TEHRAN – The deputy culture and tourism minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan has held talks with provincial authorities of East Azarbaijan in northwest Iran, laying out a roadmap for widening cooperation thanks to countless mutual commonalities, CHTN reported on Saturday.

During his April 26-27 visit to Tabriz, the capital city of East Azarbaijan, Adalat Veliyev met with Governor General Esmaeil Jabbarzadeh, Tabriz Mayor Sadeq Najafi, and Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department Director Morteza Abdar.

“In the wake of countless cultural, lingual and religious commonalities that link the Republic of Azerbaijan to Tabriz, the way is paved for planning and implementing cultural events with assistance of the two regions’ peoples,” CHTN quoted Veliyev as saying.

He said some 46,000 Iranian holidaymakers visited Azerbaijan during Noruz, the Iranian New Year celebrations, Trend reported on Wednesday.

In December 2015, tourism ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states selected Tabriz as the capital of Islamic tourism for 2018. The historical city was also named a World Craft City by World Crafts Council - Asia Pacific Region (WCC-APR) in 2015.

PHOTO: Azerbaijan’s Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Adalat Veliyev (L) talks to East Azarbaijan Province Governor General Esmaeil Jabbarzadeh in Tabriz on April 26, 2017.

AFM/MG