Alwaght- Presidents of Iran, Russia, and Azerbaijan met on Monday, in the Azeri capital of Baku to discuss development of transport infrastructure as well as North-South corridor energy.
During the trilateral meeting Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev, Iraninan President Hassan Rouhani called for efforts to resolve all regional disputes through dialog and diplomacy, saying Iran pays particular attention to the expansion of ties with the regional countries.
"The development of all-out relations with neighboring countries is [one of] the priorities of Iran's foreign policy," he said, adding that the Islamic Republic welcomes any "idea and initiative to increase interaction and cooperation with its neighbors."
"It goes without saying that such measures are not against any country or third party and are merely a framework for dialog focused on the development of regional cooperation among the three countries," Rouhani said.
President Putin, in turn, said the summit has opened a new chapter in the relations between the three states, stressing the need for finding joint solutions to the threat of terrorism facing the region.
Azeri President Alieyev, for his part, said Azerbaijan follows an independent policy and referred to the dispute between Baku and Yerevan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, saying that one million Azeris have been expelled by Armenia from their land.
He said the Caspian Sea has rich oil and gas resources, adding that the sea's littoral states should work to protect its resources.
The Azeri president said the North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC) - an ambitious intercontinental multi-modal route that would link St. Petersburg to Mumbai - is a huge project in the region, expressing hope that it would be launched as soon as possible. The NSTC primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia via ship, rail and road.
The three presidents signed a final statement at the end of the Baku summit and have adopted a joint declaration.
The draft declaration reportedly highlighted the need to jointly fight terrorism, as well as boost business, energy, transportation and other ties through establishing respective working groups.
