Speaking in a joint press conference before Aliyev left Tehran for Baku, the Iranian and Azeri presidents voiced optimism over the results of the upcoming expert-level meeting to debate the regime, slated for June 11.

Khatami described Aliyev's visit as a turning point in mutual relations, and reiterated that he had had fruitful talks with the Azeri president.

He said Iran and Azerbaijan agree that the Caspian must be a sea of peace and stability, and that all littoral states must have a share in exploiting its resources on a fair basis.

President Khatami stressed that Tehran-Baku disputes could be solved in light of the 'goodwill and understanding' prevailing in mutual relations.

He said Caspian littoral states had a right to consider national interests in dividing the Sea resources, and reiterated that Iran had reached a point to define its national interests without conflicting the interests of others.

The Iranian president hoped that the Caspian Sea would turn into the sea of peace and friendship, cooperation and co-existence, and called on littoral states to exploit its resources properly.

Khatami stressed that Iran and Azerbaijan agreed that their fate is inter-related and that each country's security guaranteed the stability of the other.

He said Iran and Azerbaijan are progressing towards development, and reiterated that security and stability was essential to maintain such progress.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president said Tehran had a role to play is solving the Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and called for the negotiated settlement of the conflict.

Aliyev, for his part, stressed that Iranian and Azeri experts had made major breakthroughs in their talks regarding the legal regime of the Caspian Sea, and hoped the agreements reached in his visit would pave the way for the June 11 meetings in Baku to iron out the regime.

He said he had discussed issues of mutual interest with Iranian officials, and reiterated that the positions of Iranian officials on the topics had been positive, amicable and aimed at developing relations.

Aliyev described the conclusion of some 10 agreements between Tehran and Baku as the success of his visit to the Islamic Republic.

He reiterated that the agreement to draw up the fundamentals of friendly ties between Tehran and Baku, as the first major legal contract between the two countries, had been the most important result of the visit.

The Azeri president said his visit had opened a new chapter in mutual relations with the Iran, and stressed that the relations were bound to be upgraded in future.

Aliyev said economic ties formed a significant part of his talks with Iranian officials, and said Iran and Azerbaijan had agreed to use their potentials to further develop mutual economic cooperation.

He recalled several joint development projects, including the Qazvin-Astara railroad, and the participation of Iranian contractors in developing Azeri oil enterprises, and hoped mutual cooperation would be further expanded by the two countries.

President Aliyev Monday wound up his three-day official visit to Iran and left Tehran for Baku.

During his stay in Tehran, Aliyev met with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah, Seyed Ali Khamenei, President Khatami, Majlis Speaker Mehdi Karroubi and Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi.

Ways to bolster Tehran-Baku relations as well as the latest regional and international developments were top on the agenda of talks held between the Azeri delegation and the Iranian senior officials.

Meanwhile, ten letters of understanding were signed on bilateral economic, political, scientific, cultural and sports cooperation by the two sides.

Aliyev was accompanied in his Tehran trip by the Azeri ministers of foreign affairs, culture, agriculture and food, economics, transportation, youth and sports, head of state customs administration, president of the Azeri state oil company and a number of other high-ranking officials.

Iran, Azerbaijan ink cultural agreement

According to the ministry's Public Relations Department, at the meeting, the two ministers signed an agreement on cultural exchanges and reiterated the need for implementing the accord concluded in 1994.

The agreement signed on Monday commits the two sides to cooperate in various fields such as exchange of ideas and experience in arts and culture, arrange mutual visits by cultural, artistic delegations as well as expand of cooperation between the two sides' governmental and private sectors.

Other topics of the agenda included taking part in cultural exhibitions, cultural festivals, exchange of professors and university students, exchange of scientific, historical works, books, documents, feature and short films, expansion of music festivals, reconstruction of historical monuments, mosques as well as theological schools.

Both sides agreed to honor the memory of the Iranian poet Mohammad Hossein Shahriar and to jointly hold gatherings to honor the Iranian and Azeri poets each year.

The Azeri culture minister accompanying the country's president arrived in Tehran on Saturday on a three-day visit which ended today.

Asefi says bright prospect awaiting Tehran-Baku ties

Addressing a press conference, Asefi said Azeri President Heidar Aliyev's visit to Tehran and his "fruitful" talks with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and President Mohammad Khatami would prepare the ground for expansion of mutual cooperation in the political, economic and cultural fields.

He said conclusion of agreements in different spheres indicate strong will and firm determination of both sides to diversify and strengthen bilateral ties.

He added that Iranian and Azeri officials had in their meetings emphasized the need for further expansion of bilateral ties with respect to their religious and cultural commonalties as well as common borders.

The policy of detente and confidence building would be seriously followed in the Caspian sea in relations with the littoral states and it is expected that continued exchange of views would give way to further convergence and regional cooperation, said Asefi.

He hailed the "positive" approach of the European Union towards expansion of mutual cooperation, calling the move as helpful for both sides.

He touched on EU foreign ministers' decision in their recent meeting in Brussels, to conclude trade and commercial agreements with Iran. He said they are to follow in details the parts and parcels of their proposed agreement in their upcoming meeting in June.

He said the European Union and Iran are determined to expand bilateral ties. Tehran too stresses expansion of relations with the European Union, considering it as part of the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran's government, he added.

Asefi said the trilateral Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistani meeting, that was held in Tehran recently under the auspices of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), indicates Iran's firm resolve to establish peace and security in Afghanistan and reconstruct the country.

He said Iran rejects any selective and unilateralistic policy towards Afghanistan's reconstruction, adding Iran does not compete with any country in Afghanistan.

He added that under present sensitive juncture, the Afghan people should be availed with a chance to guarantee peace, security and economic progress in their country.

Khatami to pay official visit to Baku

The planned visit was announced in a joint communique issued at the end of the three-day official visit to Tehran of the Azeri president.

Aliyev, who arrived here on Saturday at the head of a high-ranking delegation, left Tehran on Monday.

According to the joint communique, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan decided to put on their agenda the regular exchange of visits between the two countries presidents and other senior officials.

The two countries also call for holding of regular sessions of joint commission on bilateral economic, scientific and cultural cooperation, the communique added.

Senior Iranian and Azeri officials held talks on issues of mutual interest in a friendly atmosphere full of mutual understanding, it added.

Tehran and Baku underlined the need for making use of the existing potentials in both countries to further promote economic, political, and cultural cooperation, it said adding that the two countries inked ten letters of understanding on bilateral cooperation in different areas.

During his three-day stay in Tehran Aliyev met with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah, Seyed Ali Khamenei, President Khatami, Majlis Speaker Mehdi Karroubi and Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi.

... Payvand News - 5/20/02 ... --