Iran, Georgia ink MoUs to boost bilateral cooperation

Iran and Georgia signed a series of cooperation Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) here on Saturday, semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

The MoUs were sealed at the presence of Iranian first Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri and visiting Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

The signed documents cover cooperation in sports, information technology, sustainable development and agriculture.

Also, a joint statement was signed between Iranian Department of Environment and Georgian Department of Natural Resources on environmental issues.

In addition, two cooperation agreements were signed between private sectors of the two countries over the establishment of a refinery complex and a ceramics factory in Georgia.

After the signing, Kvirikashvili highlighted the economic opportunities available for Iranian investors in the Caucasian country, expressing determination to remove all obstacles to economic cooperation between private sectors of the two countries, Tasnim news agency reported.

"Georgia has created suitable conditions for Iranian economic activists and investors," Kvirikashvili said at a joint press conference with Jahangiri.

Jahangiri, for his part, described the Georgian premier's trip to Tehran as a "milestone" in the expansion of bilateral relations.

Iran and Georgia have a lot in common and share stances on many regional and international issues, he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country can function as the passageway of Georgia and other regional countries to the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean while Georgia can connect Iran to the Black Sea, Press TV reported.

"Transit in the region currently has special significance and given a rail link between Iran's (northern port city of) Astara and Azerbaijan and good rail and road routes in Georgia, the development of Tehran-Tbilisi cooperation in this field can bring about a transport network in the region," Rouhani said in a meeting with Kvirikashvili.

Rouhani also stressed the importance of interaction between Iran and Georgia on fighting terrorism.

"Today, the region is faced with a big problem named terrorism and we must boost our cooperation to counter and uproot it," he said.

The Georgian prime minister, for his part, said his country is determined to connect the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea through Iran's roads and railways.

Kvirikashvili's trip to Tehran came days after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Georgia on the second leg of his three-nation tour of Central Asia. Endit