The Governor of Ardebil Province, Masoud Emami Yeganeh, has called for facilitating land travel for traders and tourists and expanding bilateral border cooperation with Azerbaijan. He made the remarks during a trip to the Republic of Azerbaijan alongside Iran's Interior Minister, where he met with high-ranking Azerbaijani officials.
Emami Yeganeh highlighted the 370-kilometer shared border between Ardebil and Azerbaijan, describing Azerbaijan as Iran's gateway to the Caucasus. He stated that streamlining land transit for businessmen and tourists would play a strategic role in strengthening communications and developing exchanges between the two sides.
The governor noted that about 500 trucks cross daily from Ardebil's border into Azerbaijan through the Bileh Savar Customs. He emphasized that facilitating truck movement while observing security requirements is a priority for increasing regional trade. He also mentioned previous agreements to launch a rail logistics yard as an infrastructure necessity for economic exchanges.
In meetings with Azerbaijan's Minister of Emergency Situations, Emami Yeganeh proposed joint operational and field exercises to control natural crises. He said Ardebil is ready to enhance cooperation with Azerbaijani relief forces and exchange technical knowledge through joint training courses.
Azerbaijan's Interior Minister welcomed the proposals and promised to follow up in specialized meetings. The Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev, noted that trade volume between the two countries has increased and that joint infrastructure projects, including a bridge over the Aras River and the Astara railway cargo terminal, are nearly complete.
