Azerbaijan’s president urges closer tourism ties with Iran

TEHRAN, Iran – The Republic of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev called for further efforts to boost Tehran-Baku cooperation in the area of tourism.

Aliyev paid an official visit to Iran’s pavilion at Azerbaijan International Travel and Tourism Fair (AITF) in Baku on Friday and praised the Islamic Republic’s tourism attractions and capacities.

In his remarks, the Azeri president further called for the promotion of tourism ties between the two neighboring countries.

Iranian Ambassador to Baku Mohsen Pakayeen, in his visit to the international fair, emphasized that the promotion of tourism is high on Iran’s agenda, saying that increasing tourist travels to Iran by the citizens of neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan, provides good grounds for closer ties.

The AITF is a three-day event being held from April 7 to 9, 2016 at the Baku Expo Center in Baku.

In a meeting with Aliyev in Baku on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had underlined Tehran’s firm policy of developing ties with the Republic of Azerbaijan and other neighbors and called for the expansion of cooperation between Tehran and Baku in different fields.

The Iranian top diplomat referred to tourism, energy, combatting terrorism and joint work in regional and international bodies such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as major areas where the two countries can expand their collaborations.