Iran Minister of Transport and Urban Development, Rostam Ghasemi, met with Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Prime Minister, Shahin Mustafayev, and his delegation to Iran today on 21 November 2021.

In this meeting, heads of Iran and Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission informed of mutual discussions in different grounds of cooperation including transport and transit, infrastructural projects, economy, commerce, Energy, customs and agriculture.

They have discussed construction of a bridge on Astarachay River, Rasht-Astara railroad project, activation of  Nakhchivan-Mashhad train, investments in Astara’s Terminal (Iran), development of  Persian Gulf-Black Sea international transportation corridor.

“The commercial transactions between Iran and Azerbaijan has increased 22 percent in last 9 months, and currently there are 2000 Iranian companies in Azerbaijan”, added Shahin Mustafayev.

The next joint economic commission was decided to be held in Baku before which a meeting for coordination is expected.

The two sides stressed great historical and brotherly relations as is reflected by this formal mutual meeting.

The previous meeting between Iran Transport Minister and Azerbaijan Deputy Prime Minister dates back to January 2021 when 14th Joint Economic Commission was held. Then the two sides discussed expansion of bilateral commercial relations, constructing a new car terminal at Astara Border, and connecting Baku-Astara Highway to Ardebil-Rasht Highway.

The two countries, within the International North-South Transport Corridor [a multi-model route to link India and the Middle East to the Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe], are making efforts to connect their railways through the Qazvin-Rasht-Astara route, connecting Iran’s northern city of Astara to Astara in Azerbaijan. With completion of Rasht-Astara Railroad, a main section of the International North-South Transport Corridor will be completed and cargo can be transited from India and China to Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Europe through Iran. 

In October 2021, following the release of Iranian truck drivers who were captured by Azerbaijan, the previous standoff between Iran and Azerbaijan had been removed, as Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian and his Azeri counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, agreed to resolve their diplomatic tensions and act for development of relations through dialogue.