On December 8, Jeyhun Bayramov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi.
The ministers first held a one-on-one meeting, which was later continued in an expanded format with the participation of their delegations.
The meetings focused on the topical issues of the Azerbaijan-Iran bilateral and multilateral cooperation agenda, as well as the regional and global developments. The ministers noted that the relations between the two states are grounded in the principles of good neighborliness and mutual respect, as well as shared historical, cultural and religious roots between the two peoples.
The FMs stressed that the existing friendly relations between the Presidents of the two countries are of great importance in the interstate relations, noting that the visits of the Iranian President to Azerbaijan in 2025 and his meetings with the Azerbaijani President as part of this visit have given new impetus to the bilateral cooperation.
They noted that political and consular consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Azerbaijan-Iran State Commission on economic, trade and humanitarian cooperation, the inter-parliamentary relations, as well as the comprehensive bilateral legal framework, have ensured the sustainable development of bilateral relations.
The meetings addressed cooperation across such domains as economy, trade, energy, transport, and logistics. The officials noted that that the economic potential of the two countries and the geographical proximity between them provide favorable conditions for increasing mutual trade and investment volumes.
The parties expressed confidence that the joint activities within the framework of the North-South International Transport Corridor, as well as new connectivity projects between Azerbaijan’s East Zangezur economic region and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, would boost transit opportunities in the region. They also praised the ongoing efforts to complete the construction of the road and bridge between Aghband and Kalala.
Touching upon the humanitarian cooperation, the two noted that the flight increase on the Baku-Tehran-Baku and Baku-Tabriz-Baku routes, based on the agreement between the Presidents of the two countries, contributed to promoting the people-to-people contacts. They also reviewed opportunities for enhancing the cooperation in science, education, culture, youth, sports, healthcare and tourism.
The meetings also addressed international and regional cooperation. The ministers hailed cooperation between the two countries based on mutual trust and support within the UN, the UNESCO, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and other organizations, as well as the 3+3 format and other regional platforms.
Minister Jeyhun Bayramov briefed his Iranian counterpart on the latest developments regarding Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process and the outcomes of the Washington Summit. The minister stressed the importance of removing from the Armenian constitution territorial claims against Azerbaijan to ensure the lasting peace in the region. FM Bayramov also highlighted Azerbaijan’s ongoing restoration efforts in the country’s liberated territories, the existing mine threat, and the resettlement of the former Azerbaijani IDPs.
The ministers then made press statements on the outcomes of the meetings, responding to questions from journalists.