Azerbaijan-Iran Business Forum Held in Baku with Participation of Presidents Aliyev and Pezeshkian
Baku, The Gulf Observer: An Azerbaijan-Iran Business Forum was held at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, attended by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian.
The forum, convened as part of President Pezeshkian’s official visit to Azerbaijan, marked a significant step toward enhancing bilateral economic cooperation. President Ilham Aliyev and President Masoud Pezeshkian both addressed the participants, highlighting the strong political ties between the two neighboring countries and emphasizing the need to deepen trade and investment relations.
In his address, President Ilham Aliyev described the visit of the Iranian leader as “very successful,” underlining that the agreements reached and documents signed, particularly the Joint Declaration between the two presidents, reaffirm the friendship and brotherhood between Azerbaijan and Iran.
“The visit has very good political results,” Aliyev said, while expressing hope that economic relations would soon match the strength of political ties. Noting that trade between Azerbaijan and Iran currently falls below one billion dollars, President Aliyev called for serious steps to increase trade turnover, mutual investments, and joint ventures. He encouraged the more than 400 business participants at the forum to actively pursue concrete cooperation opportunities.
Aliyev also stressed the importance of major regional projects such as the North-South Transport Corridor and the Araz Corridor project, emphasizing their potential to transform the region into a key hub connecting Asia and Europe. He invited Iranian companies to participate in infrastructure development projects, particularly in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation, where extensive rebuilding efforts are underway.
Touching on energy cooperation, President Aliyev outlined Azerbaijan’s ambitions in green energy, highlighting the country’s potential to export 6,500 megawatts of solar, wind, and hydropower in the coming years. He also discussed the prospects for bilateral and multilateral electricity exchange projects.
“We have broad prospects ahead, and the key factors for success are the friendship between Azerbaijan and Iran, mutual political will, and the mutual benefits of these projects,” Aliyev concluded.
Following President Aliyev, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a speech, expressing gratitude for the hospitality and reiterating Iran’s strong commitment to expanding relations with Azerbaijan.
“We believe that our relations are like those between neighbors and families — always together,” Pezeshkian stated. He stressed the importance of mutual support, sharing achievements in production, science, and culture, and creating an environment of mutual benefit.
President Pezeshkian emphasized the strategic geographical location of both countries, noting their critical role in facilitating transport routes such as the North-South and East-West corridors. He proposed greater integration among neighboring countries, especially in trade, education, technology, and culture, advocating for a self-sufficient regional market that would serve the needs of Iran, Azerbaijan, and neighboring states.
Highlighting the shared cultural and historical ties between Muslim countries, President Pezeshkian called for deeper cooperation among societies, free from external interference. “We can create a future of prosperity, peace, stability, development, and freedom for ourselves, for our region, and for our societies,” he said.
Both leaders underscored the importance of tangible actions following the forum and expressed optimism that the strengthened political ties will soon translate into robust economic partnerships.
The Azerbaijan-Iran Business Forum brought together over 400 business representatives, offering a platform to explore new opportunities and reinforce the longstanding bonds between the two neighboring nations.
