Tehran and Baku are once again witnessing an important event. President Masoud Pezeshkian’s official visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan marks this significant occasion. Although the turbulent relations between Tehran and Baku have seen slow progress at times, the will of Pezeshkian’s administration to strengthen relations with its neighbors and the desire of the Republic of Azerbaijan to solidify friendly relations with Iran promise the beginning of a new chapter of strong ties.
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s president’s visit to Baku confirms that the two neighboring countries, with long borders and a history of deep friendship and historical kinship, are determined to enhance and improve relations and are fond of continuing their friendly ties in a positive and constructive direction.
On the bilateral level, the recent meeting of the Joint Economic Commission of the two countries, held in Baku with Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh in attendance, demonstrated that the two countries have numerous opportunities for cooperation.
In fact, the parties can engage in effective collaboration, especially in the fields of transportation, energy, trade, tourism, agriculture, banking, and coordination to tackle security threats and challenges such as terrorism, organized crime, and drug trafficking. These matters will naturally be followed up during the meeting between the presidents of the two countries, accelerating their implementation.
On the other hand, the visit of Iran’s president to Baku takes place at a time when the shadow of a thirty-year war between Azerbaijan and Armenia has been lifted. Following the recognition of the territorial integrity of the two countries and the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, the will of Baku and Yerevan is now focused on stabilizing internationally recognized borders, paving the way for final peace.
Of course, the establishment of stability and security in the South Caucasus, which has always been supported by Iran, can facilitate and institutionalize joint economic cooperation between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, enabling the development of strategic relations. Under these circumstances, Tehran and Baku can secure their economic interests by adopting pragmatic approaches in an atmosphere of mutual trust and positive synergy based on abundant commonalities.
Completing the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway, removing customs and tariff barriers to increase trade, expanding tourism connections, finding solutions to exploit the joint oil field in the Caspian Sea, and cooperating to rebuild the liberated areas of Azerbaijan are among the topics likely to be discussed and agreed upon during Pezeshkian’s visit to Baku.
Finally, the officials of the two countries are well aware that good relations between them have sworn enemies, such as the Zionist regime, which will not hesitate to take any action to disrupt Tehran-Baku relations. In recent days, following the announcement of Pezeshkian’s visit to Baku, a series of psychological operations have been launched by the Israeli media and affiliated elements. However, the officials and media of the two countries, through intelligent and conscious management, will neutralize these efforts.
Overall, the president’s visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan is an important opportunity and a significant step that can strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations, symbolizing the success of the pragmatic diplomacy of the current administration in Iran.
(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of IRNA or the administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian.)
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