The presidential chief of staff says maintaining an economic blockade on Iran is impossible, emphasizing that the government's economic plans are not tied to the lifting of sanctions.
In an interview with Iranian television on Thursday, Mohammad Nahavandian said, "Iran's economy does not wait for the sanctions to be lifted and it is impossible to maintain an economic blockade on Iran," IRNA reported.
Referring to the president's two-day visit to Azerbaijan which ended on Thursday, he said, "We have developed active diplomatic ties with Azerbaijan since last year and the recent visit of the president to Baku was the fourth episode of this active diplomacy."
He said months-long negotiations with Azerbaijan on a variety of issues led to the conclusion of some agreements, adding, "In some areas, such as banking, (the construction of) rail links between Iran and Azerbaijan, and (the creation of) a transit corridor for transportation (of goods) between Iran and Europe, the two sides reached some agreements."
The senior official said, "No country like Iran shares historical, economic, social and cultural similarities with Azerbaijan; we have many historical traditions in common and also have the capacity to establish strategic mutual ties in energy sphere."
Active Diplomacy
Nahavandian noted, "According to Azeri officials, Iran and Azerbaijan have never enjoyed such favorable and high level of relations, which is the fruit of Iran's active diplomacy toward its neighboring states."
The presidential chief of staff said Iran has adopted an interactive approach in its developing process, adding, "Iran's development policies will be to the detriment of no country and we seek bilateral benefits and regional development."
Nahavandian stated, "It is impossible to keep embargoes on Iran in place, since its neighbors benefit from (relations with) the country."
Elsewhere, he said, "A new chapter has opened in Iran-Azerbaijan bilateral relations and more interactions are expected. It was explicitly stated that we can cooperate with Azerbaijan on various fields of mutual interest."
He added, "We are seeking to increase our initiatives and activities in the international arena and will spare no effort to promote our national strength."
