Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran pledge to enhance cooperation

A final declaration of Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran summit reflected the whole range of cooperation opportunities offered by the new format, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said here on Monday.

He made the remarks during a joint press conference with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Baku.

According to Lavrov, the final document of the summit has covered "both political and economic issues with a focus on transport and energy."

Lavrov said the three leaders agreed to establish a tripartite mechanism for cooperation at the ministerial level and relevant ministries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani have pledged to counter the growing global threat of terrorism in a joint declaration of a trilateral summit here on Monday.

The three leaders expressed their willingness to combat terrorism, extremism, transnational organized crime, illicit trafficking in arms, drugs and their precursors, as well as human trafficking and crimes in the sphere of information and communication technologies.

They have also recognized that "the unresolved conflicts in the region are a major obstacle to regional cooperation," and underlined the importance of their settlement "on the basis of principles and norms of international law."

"The parties will continue the comprehensive development of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation, and to deepen and broaden the political dialogue at various levels across the entire spectrum of issues of mutual interest," the document said.

Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran also agreed to deepen cooperation in various sectors of the economy "on the basis of equality and mutual benefit."

The three presidents also pledged to take effective measures to develop transportation and communication infrastructure in order to expand the opportunities for passenger and cargo transportation via the North-South corridor.

"The parties stressed the importance of an early agreement on the Caspian Sea Convention, and the Foreign Ministers were instructed to intensify the preparation for the Fifth Caspian summit. The new format will have a positive impact on regional processes," Lavrov pointed out, adding that Russia accepted the invitation to attend the next trilateral summit in Iran.

Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the heads of the three countries agreed to foster cooperation in the areas of security, energy, transit and other areas. Endit