TEHRAN - Iran's Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Farhad Dejpasand said on Thursday that Iran and Azerbaijan should take necessary measures to expand their economic ties, especially in the banking sector, IRNA reported.

The official made the remarks in a meeting with Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev in Tehran.

Underlining the two countries’ great potentials for economic cooperation, Dejpasand said the two countries should develop their banking ties, accelerate creation of joint economic projects and further develop their relations. 

He mentioned Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s recent visit to Azerbaijan and noted that the agreements reached between the two countries’ presidents should be discussed and finalized in the upcoming Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Committee meeting.

Referring to the upcoming visit of the Azeri President Ilham Aliyev to Iran in early 2020, the Iranian minister also stated that the two countries’ joint economic committee meeting should be held as soon as possible so that if some agreements would need certain preparations and specific arrangements, there would be enough time to do so before the visit.

Mustafayev for his part welcomed Dejpasand’s suggestion for holding the joint economic committee meeting and noted that President Aliyev is keen on expansion of relations and cooperation with Iran.

EF/MA