Rouhani calls for reinforcement of ties with Azerbaijan

Tehran, Dec 10 (IANS) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called for a reinforcement of bilateral ties with Azerbaijan during his meeting with visiting Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov."We hope we can take advantage of the opportunity created by new international conditions to further develop the relations between the two countries," Xinhua news agency quoted Rouhani as saying to reporters here on Wednesday.The President hailed the establishment of a ceasefire in the conflict over the conflict-ridden Nagorno-Karabakh region, adding that Iran was ready to play a constructive role in fostering stability by helping strengthen the truce.He suggested that the Iran-Azerbaijan border should be used to amplify economic and commercial ties.Rouhani also called for speeding up the process of joint projects between Iran and Azerbaijan, such as the Rasht-Astara railway, the Khoda Afarin Dam, and the building of power plants.Bayramov, for his part, described Iran as a "friendly" and "brotherly" neighbour, and called for a boost in bilateral relations."Azerbaijan's borders with Iran are borders of friendship and development, and we believe that the revival of these borders can bring about new cooperation projects between the two countries," he said.The Azerbaijani top diplomat pointed to the Rasht-Astara railway project as the basis for an increase in cooperation with Iran, expressing hopes for the removal of obstacles caused by US embargoes in order to accelerate the joint projects between the two countries.Bayramov condemned the assassination of top Iranian nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh as "not acceptable at all".Iran and Azerbaijan signalled willingness to reach a preferential trade agreement during Rouhani's visit to Azerbaijan's capital Baku last year.
--IANS ksk/