BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. Neighboring countries represent Iran's greatest opportunity for foreign policy and economic cooperation, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said during a meeting with tourism investors and representatives of the handicrafts industry in Razavi Khorasan Province in northeastern Iran.
"During the period of sanctions against Iran, neighboring countries have become an important part of the country's economic potential. In this regard, they represent the greatest opportunity for both foreign policy and economic cooperation," he said.
Araghchi noted that Razavi Khorasan Province maintains trade ties with Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan. According to him, the province has the necessary authority to expand trade and cross-border contacts with neighboring countries, while coordination with the Foreign Ministry's provincial office can help facilitate the resolution of related issues.
He added that the provincial office's role is to promote relations with neighboring states and that this potential should be used to advance economic development, trade, and tourism.
The Iranian foreign minister also said that expanding the powers of provincial authorities is one of the most effective ways to address economic issues. According to Araghchi, President Masoud Pezeshkian places special emphasis on this policy and considers it important that issues related to individual provinces be resolved quickly and accurately at the local level.
He stressed that many issues between Iran and its neighboring countries, particularly those involving border regions, can be resolved more quickly and efficiently at the provincial level than through the capitals. As an example, he said that any dispute between Razavi Khorasan Province and Afghanistan could be settled more effectively through direct coordination between local officials rather than through lengthy negotiations between Kabul and Tehran.
