Iran, Azerbaijan Pledge to Expand Cooperation in Fields of Communications

Tehran and Baku signed a protocol outlining the framework for expansion of bilateral ties and cooperation in the fields of communications infrastructure, the Internet, space and satellite development, cyber security, and management of frequencies and signals.

Iranian Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology Hossein Fallah Joshaqani and his Azeri counterpart Elmar Valizadeh, signed a protocol on Thursday to boost cooperation in the field of communications at the end of the second joint working group in Baku.

The second two-day working group of Iran and Azerbaijan opened on Wednesday with expert teams of the two countries in attendance.

Iran and Azerbaijan’s expert talks were held under six specialized categories, including cooperation in the field of communications infrastructure, the Internet, space and satellite development, cyber security, and management of TV, radio and mobile phones frequencies and signals along the two countries’ borders.

Under the protocol, Iran and Azerbaijan agreed to use each other’s experience in the fields of space and satellite services.

Fallah said that the protocol will play a crucial role in promoting cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan in the fields of communications and information technology.

The agreements are the beginning of the countries’ long road for cooperation between the two neighboring countries, he said.

Valizadeh also described the talks as fruitful, saying that the discussions revealed that the two countries attach significance to cooperation and taking steps in this regard.

The third expert working group will be held in Iran and precise date and venue of the event will be announced through diplomatic channels.

Last month, Iran’s Economy Minister Farhad Dejpasand said that Tehran-Baku cooperation will go beyond infrastructure projects, adding that the two countries are determined to broaden ties in almost all areas.

Speaking to reporters upon arrival in Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport late on March 13, Dejpasand hailed the “very successful relations and historical ties” between Iran and Azerbaijan, saying that Tehran eyes to boost cooperation with Baku in a wide range of economic fields.

The Iranian minister said that the two countries have a very good experience in the implementation of certain joint projects.

Dejpasand was attending the 13th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Iran State Commission for Economic, Commercial and Humanitarian Cooperation in Baku. The two-day meeting kicked off today.

"Meetings will be held with the Azerbaijani prime minister, the ministers of economy and agriculture, the chairman of the Central Bank and the head of the State Border Service," he said.

Noting that discussions would be held on bilateral cooperation in the fields of money and finance, tourism, agriculture, railway, water and electricity, Dejpasand expressed hope that the visit will be fruitful.