Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Iran's Deputy Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade Mojtaba Khosrotaj will pay a visit to Azerbaijan on June 18.

Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pak Ayin told Trend news agency that the Iranian delegation led by Khosrotaj consists of eight people.

The delegation includes the heads and deputies of the "Maku" and "Aras" free trade zones and several responsible persons.

Pak Ayin said the meetings with Azerbaijani officials will expand economic ties. He also said the meetings with heads of private sector companies are scheduled within the visit.

The ambassador said the preparation is underway for the meeting of the Azerbaijan-Iran joint economic commission, which will be held on August 4-5 in Baku.

He also noted that Azerbaijani Minister of Communications and High Technologies Ali Abbasov is on visit to Tehran.

Pak Ayin added that the mutual visits of delegations of the two countries increased after the visit of the Azerbaijani president to Iran.

President Aliyev visited Iran on April 9 and held talks with Iranian officials on a range of issues.

Azerbaijan and Iran have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992.

Data from the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan shows that trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $281.03 million in 2013, which is 6.13 percent higher than 2012. The figure stood at $263.785 million in 2012.

Iran imported $73.347 million worth of goods from Azerbaijan in 2013, while its exports to Azerbaijan stood at $207.683 million during the same period.

Iran's trade turnover with Azerbaijan in the first eleven months of 2013stood at $470 million ($448 million exports and $22 million imports), Iran's customs administration's latest report shows.