President Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Farzaneh Sadegh, Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development and co-chair of the Azerbaijan-Iran Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, on February 23.
According to Operative Information Center-OMM, the meeting highlighted the positive trajectory of bilateral relations, recalling Farzaneh Sadegh's previous visit to Azerbaijan and her prior discussions with the head of state. President Ilham Aliyev referenced his recent telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, noting that the two leaders had discussed mutual cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran as friendly nations.
Expressing satisfaction with the expanding bilateral agenda, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that joint projects implemented by Azerbaijan and Iran would create significant opportunities for both countries and the wider region. The head of state expressed confidence that the current visit would yield productive results across all areas of discussion. Minister Farzaneh Sadegh conveyed the greetings of President Masoud Pezeshkian, underlining that the Iranian leadership attaches special importance to its relations with Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the greetings and asked the minister to convey his own regards to the Iranian President.
The discussions touched upon the significance of the 17th meeting of the State Commission for Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran in economic, trade, and humanitarian spheres held in Baku. Key topics included the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the construction of the automobile bridge over the Araz River connecting the Agband and Kalaleh points. These infrastructure projects are considered vital components of the regional transport network, aimed at enhancing transit capacity and economic integration between the two neighbors.
The Agband bridge project, in particular, serves as a strategic link connecting the East Zangezur economic region of Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through Iranian territory. This cooperation reflects the ongoing efforts to diversify regional transport routes and strengthen the geopolitical standing of both Baku and Tehran as central hubs in Eurasia.
