Iran welcomes neighbors' investments in its projects: president

Iran places top priority on neighboring countries for foreign investments, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said here on Tuesday.

Companies from all over the world are presently seeking investments in Iran after the nuclear deal, but Tehran is specifically focusing on its neighbors, including Azerbaijan, in the first place, Rouhani said in a meeting with the visiting Azeri Minister of Economy and Industry Shahin Aliyev.

Iran considers Azerbaijan as a gateway to Caucasus region, and his country can serve as a route to connect Baku to the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea, Rouhani was quoted as saying by official IRNA news agency.

He said Tehran and Baku can cooperate in oil and energy sectors, and joint investments in the Caspian Sea could be a proper ground for such cooperation.

For his part, Aliyev hailed the recent nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers, saying that the agreement will work to the benefit of the regional and international peace and stability.

Azerbaijan is determined to promote cooperation with Iran in energy, trade, transportation, industry, agriculture and banking sectors, he added.

After a landmark deal on Iran's nuclear program in Vienna on July 14, Tehran has received various senior officials from the West.

The agreement reached in Vienna benefits both Iran and the P5+1 (Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States, and Germany) group and serves as a major step in converting threats to opportunities, Rouhani said earlier. Endit