TEHRAN-- Heading a delegation, Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Rostam Qasemi has actually taken a trip to Baku to go to a tripartite meeting with Russia and Azerbaijan planned to evaluate methods to improve economic ties between the 3 regional powerhouses.As IRIB reported, developing the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the completion of the Rasht-Astara train are amongst the main concerns that will be talked about at this meeting.Speaking to journalism upon leaving Tehran for Baku, Qasemi said: In this tripartite conference, we will talk about the concerns regarding the transport and transit of products in the North-South corridor.
Earlier this month, Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, Iranian ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan met Shahin Mustafayev, deputy prime minister and the Azerbaijani Chairman of the Joint Economic Commission with Iran.In this meeting, conversations were held relating to the latest developments in economic and trade relations between the two countries, as well as joint tasks, particularly in the field of transportation.In a special interview with the Tehran Times released on August 2, Mousavi called a few projects besides the North-South passage as major joint tasks between Tehran and Baku.
As I said, our relationship with the Republic of Azerbaijan is one of kinship and neighborliness.
Many people attempted to influence this relationship and prevent it from being warm.
It is natural that if 2 Muslim countries are close to each other, many people will be dissatisfied and upset.
We do not wish to please anybody, the diplomat said of Iran-Azerbaijan ties.He then kept in mind, We have huge joint projects.
We are building a brand-new and huge bridge in Astara, and if this bridge is inaugurated by the end of this year, the volume of transit between Iran and Azerbaijan, which has to do with 200 trucks daily from the Astara area, can reach 800 and even 1000.
We are pursuing a joint dam building job.
EF/