TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday met with his Azeri counterpart, President Ilham Aliyev, to discuss expansion of bilateral relations.

President Rouhani said relations between Tehran and Baku are developing, emphasizing the historical bonds and common religious interests of both countries.

Aliyev arrived in Tehran earlier on Wednesday to take part in the trilateral summit of Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan.

“We are very pleased that today, in addition to bilateral relations between Tehran and Baku, trilateral relations between Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan are also of interest to the officials of the three countries and Tehran and Baku have become a model of multilateral and regional relations,” Rouhani explained.

Rouhani described economic relations between the two neighboring countries as “well-developed” and “well-functioning”.

Iran is ready to cooperate with Azerbaijan in industrial and agricultural sectors, as well as extra-territorial farming, oil and gas swap, and exploration and exploitation of oil in the Caspian Sea, Rouhani said.

He also underlined the necessity of Iran-Azerbaijan cooperation in transit and transportation.

“The start of the Astara-Astara railway operation is an important step in the development of transit cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan,” he remarked.

Aliyev, for his part, said, “The visit and constant contacts between the high ranking officials of Iran and Azerbaijan indicate that the two countries' relations and cooperation are progressing well.”

The Azeri president expressed satisfaction with the development of cooperation between Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan.

“Development of trilateral relations is in favor of developing, stabilizing and deepening of cooperation between the three countries in the field of transportation, the North-South Corridor project, and certainly the development of infrastructure projects in the region, and it will have good results and a good future,” he stated.

He also thanked Iran for its role in fight against terrorism.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has played a significant role in establishing stability and security in the region and in fighting terrorism,” he noted.

MH/PA