Iran-Azerbaijan economic ties should improve proportionate to political relations: Envoy

In a meeting with Ardebil Governor General Majid Khodabakhsh on Wednesday, he added that political ties between the two countries have remarkably improved in the past three years but the volume of economic exchanges have not increased in proportion to the new conditions.

He further noted that development of ties with other countries has gained a higher speed which reveals the significance of the issue to Iran and other states, according to IRNA.

The ambassador hailed Iran-Azerbaijan ties, saying that President Hassan Rouhani and his Azeri counterpart have so far held seven diplomatic meetings and this is unprecedented.

Despite high level political ties, Iran is involved only in one percent of Azerbaijan Republic's relations, he said, noting that East Azaebaijan and West Azerbaijan, Gilan and Ardebil provinces have the most exchanges with the country.

Putting the number of tourists visiting Iran each year at 5.6 million, Jahangirzadeh said that one million Azeri people enter Iran each year for tourism, pilgrimage and treatment purposes.

Ardebil governor general, for his part, referred to the efforts in line with promoting bilateral ties, saying that Bilesavar border terminal was inaugurated at the cost of 140 billion Rials and it will be completed soon with the same amount of budget.

Khodabakhsh called for removing obstacles in the way of mutual cooperation such as preferential tariffs which were imposed by Azerbaijan Customs House over Iranian goods.