Political scientist: Iran praises trade relations with Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 9 By Elnur Baghishov – Trend: The increase in Iran's trade relations with Azerbaijan after the imposition of US sanctions on Iran was positively assessed by Iran, Iranian political scientist Elyas Vahedi told Trend. According to Vahedi, Azerbaijan is one of the most important countries in the South Caucasus, Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions. "In fact, Iran-Azerbaijan relations can expand and develop not through bilateral trade, but through joint investment and production projects and regional and international trade agreements. The North-South International Transport Corridor can connect India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia and several other countries to one another and increase economic cooperation many times," he added. The political scientist stressed that Iran is also Azerbaijan's southern gateway to international waters. Iran can connect Azerbaijan to the Middle East, the Indian Ocean and the African continent. Vahedi noted that there have been discussions on military and security cooperation over the past 2-3 years, and this process can be positively assessed. Because both countries are necessary for the region. According to the statistics of Islamic Republic of Iranian Customs Administration (IRICA), Iran exported goods worth $429 million to Azerbaijan during the last Iranian year (from March 21, 2019 to March 20, 2020).