Azeri official: Iran is Azerbaijan's friend, brother

Astrakhan, Oct 4, IRNA- Azeri Deputy Prime Minister, Yagub Eyyubov, said here Friday that Iran is a friend and brother country to Azerbaijan.

Eyyubov told Iran's Vice-President for Executive Affairs Ali Saeedlu
that there are extensive potentials available which the two sides
should use them to expand mutual ties.

He said Tehran-Baku relations and cooperation are in line with Iranian
and Azeri nations' interest.

He hoped that common bonds will help upgrade mutual ties.

"Baku wants peace and stability for both countries and nations of the
region and Azerbaijan has always been keeping a close watch to Iran's
issues and progress," Eyyubov said.

Saeedlu said for his part, "Senior Iranian officials' political will
is based on further expansion of relations with Azerbaijan Republic."
He said Tehran-Baku cooperation in the oil and gas sectors serves as a
ground for better bilateral ties.

Noting that nations should be free and independent, Saeedlu said,
"Gone is the era of certain powers' bullying and nations are seeking
justice and passion and want peace and dialogue."
Saeedlu added that enemies of the Iranian and Azeri nations do not
wish progress and development of the countries and try to keep them
backward.

Saeedlu and Eyyubov met on the sidelines of the first
Intergovernmental Economic Conference of Near-Caspian-Sea States that
opened here on Friday.

Besides Saeedlu and Eyyubov, Chairman of the Government of the Russian
Federation, Viktor Zubkov, Turkmen Vice Prime Minister, Hojamyrat
Geldimyradov, and Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Umirzak
Shukayev, were also present in the Conference.

Also attending the meeting were representatives of large international
companies to discuss the building-up and development of joint
investment areas for production and infrastructure projects'
implementation.

The conference became the key economic event for the states of Caspian
Sea basin, ground for discussing and building-up an action program of
long-term investment, economic, transport and ecological programs'
implementation.

Discussion of the following issues, which are important to solve all
member countries' geo-strategic problems, were on agenda: the
development of intergovernmental economic cooperation, oil-and-gas
infrastructure development perspectives, environmental safety of the
region and other.

In addition to working sessions and meetings a large-scale
international exhibition of investment projects and technologies of
Caspian Sea states had been organized.

Representatives of Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation,
Government of the Russian Federation; official representatives of
governmental delegations from foreign states, Russian regions,
representatives of federal ministries and departments, and Russian and
foreign industrial enterprises had also participated in the meeting.


End