High-level delegations from Iran and Azerbaijan signed 11 agreements and memorandums of understanding in Tehran on Tuesday.
The documents, signed in a meeting co-chaired by President Hassan Rouhani and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev, covered a wide range of areas, including customs cooperation, livestock production, railroad network expansion and joint gas and oil projects.
Rouhani highlighted the "strategic" bilateral ties, saying, "Fortunately, the Iran-Azerbaijan economic cooperation commission has been actively trying to identify potential areas for cooperation," President.ir reported.
"Tehran and Baku have the closest ties than ever and there is no barrier to expansion of cooperation in any area," he said.
The president stressed the need to take full advantage of the situation in the wake of the removal of sanctions last month to help elevate the level of bilateral relations.
"Now in the post-sanctions era, boosting ties with neighbors is a top priority in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Sanctions were lifted on Jan. 16 under a historic deal reached six months earlier after about two years of negotiations with P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) in return for temporary constraints on Tehran's nuclear program.
Rouhani further said Iran believes that the Caspian Sea states can rely on the potential and resources it offers to further develop their ties.
Aliyev expressed pleasure at the rapid pace of the development of bilateral cooperation, saying, "Iran-Azerbaijan relations have experienced a considerable boost in recent years.
The top officials attended a press conference after the meeting, in which Rouhani said the two sides agreed to increase collaboration in the campaign against terrorism.
Aliyev said, "Improved cooperation between the two countries will definitely help promote peace and stability in the region."
