Iran, Azerbaijan poised to increase energy cooperation
Tehran and Baku are discussing ways to boost cooperation in the energy sector, said Iran’s energy minister highlighting that Azerbaijan will serve as a link for Iran’s electricity grid with those in Russia and Georgia.
According to Fars News Agency, Reza Ardakanian said during his meeting with Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev in Tehran, “We are considering plans to connect the country’s power grid to Russia’s through the Republic of Azerbaijan, which will help synchronize Iran’s power system with that of Russia.”
He voiced satisfaction at the level of Iran-azerbaijan cooperation, noting that the two countries’ joint commission meeting on economic cooperation will be held in Baku in the near future.
He added that during his talks with the Azeri economy minister, the possibility of electricity cooperation with Turkey through Azerbaijan in the form of the regional Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was discussed and the two sides agreed to take the necessary steps in this respect.
The Azerbaijani economy minister said the two sides exchanged views on the potentials of tripartite energy cooperation between ‘Iran-azerbaijanrussia’, ‘Iran-azerbaijan-georgia’ and ‘Iran- Azerbaijan-turkey’.
Also on Tuesday, Mustafayev met Iran’s Economy Minister Farhad Dejpasand during which the two sides pledged to ink extensive economic agreements between the two countries in areas of monetary, financial and banking cooperation for strengthening mutual economic cooperation.
Dejpasand stressed that Iran always considers development of relations with its neighbors, especially Azerbaijan, as one of its strategic policies.
Azerbaijan has a special position in the foreign policy of Iran as witnessed in the numerous meetings between the two countries’ presidents over the past five years, he said.
Referring to the insufficient speed of the progress in some joint projects, including the final stages of the Rashtastara railway project, Dejpasand proposed the creation of a special group to monitor the implementation of the agreements signed between the two countries, a suggestion that was welcomed by the Azerbaijani side.
The Iranian economy minister also called for signing a monetary and financial agreement and the development of banking cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan, saying that the cooperation in economic field should be at the same level as the political relations between the two countries.
Mustafayev expressed readiness to sign a monetary and banking agreement as well as to cooperate more on completing the remaining section of the Rasht-astara railway project.
The Azerbaijani official also referred to a 74-percent increase in trade between the two countries last year, putting the value of bilateral trade at $450 million, while saying that of a total $450 million, $420 pertained to Iran’s exports to Azerbaijan.
He also underlined the full support of the Azerbaijani government to Iranian investors in his country, saying that an Iranian car company there has reached the desirable profit-making level.
The Azerbaijani minister added that his country is seeking a new contract with Iranian companies for production of buses.
“Azerbaijan’s support for Iranian companies and its determination to develop cooperation with Iran may be unacceptable to some governments, but as an independent country, we are determined to develop relations with Iran,” Mustafayev noted.