Sadegh was speaking at a meeting held in Tehran on Tuesday with the visiting Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev.

In the meeting, Sadegh said Azerbaijan is very important in the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy.

She assured that the Tehran-Baku ties will be promoted in line with the two sides’ interests in the future.

Expressing satisfaction over the re-opening of the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, Sadegh said Iran is ready to develop relations with the northern neighbor in all areas.

She further expressed readiness to hold the 16th Iran-Azerbaijan Economic Commission meeting in Tehran in the shortest time.

Sadegh went on to say that Iran started building the Rasht-Astara railway in its northern areas which was a turning point in developing the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

She further highlighted the role of Azerbaijan in developing the infrastructure of the railway project.

In her remarks, the roads minister stressed the importance of drafting and finalizing a comprehensive agreement on bilateral cooperation on transport.

In May 2023, Iran and Russia signed an agreement worth $1.6 billion to build the Rasht-Astara railway.