Speaking at the opening ceremony of the first meeting of governors of Caspian coastal provinces in Rasht, Araghchi said Iran’s neighboring countries remain its top foreign-policy priority.
He noted that Iran enjoys “excellent” relations with all Caspian littoral states and has established strategic ties with some of them.
Highlighting Tehran’s partnership with Moscow, he said, “The relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation are a strategic partnership.”
He pointed out that the presidents of the two countries signed a 20-year comprehensive cooperation agreement last year, describing ongoing political, economic, and international exchanges between the two countries as close and continuous.
Pointing to recent and upcoming high-level visits, Araghchi said President Masoud Pezeshkian has already travelled to Russia and Azerbaijan and is scheduled to visit Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in the coming month.
He said such engagements reflect the strong ties among the leaders of Caspian-region countries and their shared approach to regional interests and concerns.
Araghchi stressed the Caspian Sea’s significance in energy, transit corridors, and trade connectivity, saying cooperation among the five coastal states, based on common interests and sometimes shared concerns, has been under way for years.
Boosting economic and commercial exchanges through Caspian maritime routes is of “extraordinary importance” for all countries in the region, the foreign minister added.
The minister also noted the role of Iran’s northern provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan as major domestic tourist destinations. He expressed hope that these provinces would also become preferred destinations for visitors from other Caspian states.
The two-day meeting in Rasht, held under the theme “Caspian: Bridge for Friendship and Regional Development,” opened on Tuesday with senior Iranian and foreign officials in attendance.
The gathering was convened at Iran’s initiative to strengthen regional cooperation, expand economic interaction, and coordinate efforts aimed at sustainable development and environmental protection in the world’s largest enclosed inland water body.
Delegations from nine foreign regions and five Iranian provinces are participating in the event, which seeks to promote practical collaboration on issues ranging from trade and transit to ecological preservation and tourism development across the Caspian basin.
Araghchi meets Iranian envoys to Caspian Sea littoral states
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held talks with ambassadors and heads of Iranian missions in Russia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, who have gathered in the city of Rasht for an international conference.
Araghchi met with Iranian diplomats on the sidelines of the summit of the governors of the Caspian Sea littoral states, themed “Caspian: Bridge for Friendship and Regional Development,” on Tuesday.
The two-day event brings together domestic and foreign officials, including governors, and economic activists from the provinces located on the shores of the Caspian Sea in Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.
The first summit of governors initiated by Iran is aimed at strengthening regional cooperation, increasing economic interactions and coordination in the field of sustainable development and environmental protection.
Enhancing cultural and tourism ties, as well as synergizing the coastal provinces of the five Caspian Sea countries, are high on the agenda of discussions.
Iran’s relations with neighbors are on path of progress
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran’s relations with its neighbors are progressing, emphasizing that developing relations with the Caspian Sea littoral states is particularly important for Tehran.
During a press conference at the first summit of governors from the coastal provinces of the Caspian Sea littoral countries in Gilan Province on Tuesday, Araghchi emphasized that the summit aims to expand Iran’s policy of fostering good relations with its neighboring Caspian countries.
He appreciated the participation of governors from Iran’s Mazandaran and Golestan provinces, as well as several governors from Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia. “The goal is for the provinces along the Caspian Sea to become familiar with each other’s capacities and existing challenges, and to collaborate on resolving these issues.”
The top Iranian diplomat also referred to this initiative as a form of “provincial diplomacy” introduced by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs some time ago.
Araghchi said that the meeting is highly effective in promoting cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral countries, as well as enhancing communication and consultations. As a result, acceptable outcomes are expected from this summit, he added.
The two-day meeting in Rasht, the capital of Iran’s Gilan Province, held under the theme “Caspian: Bridge for Friendship and Regional Development,” opened on Tuesday with senior Iranian and foreign officials in attendance.
The gathering was convened at Iran’s initiative to strengthen regional cooperation, expand economic interaction, and coordinate efforts aimed at sustainable development and environmental protection in the world’s largest enclosed inland water body.
Delegations from nine foreign regions and five Iranian provinces are participating in the event, which seeks to promote practical collaboration on issues ranging from trade and transit to ecological preservation and tourism development across the Caspian basin.
