Iran hopes Azerbaijan will lift visa regime by year-end

"We assume that by late 2016 the visa issue will be settled after installation of technical equipment at border crossing points,” he told reporters on Feb. 25.

The ambassador said that new visa regulations will apply to all Iranians regardless of the type of visa issued.

Pak Ayeen said Azerbaijan and Iran signed a document on Feb. 23 to connect Iran’s Astara and Azerbaijan’s Astara border checkpoints as part of the North-South railway corridor.

He said a bridge will be constructed in Astara jointly by Iran and Azerbaijan.

The diplomat said materials have been delivered for a 30-km section of the Qazvin-Rasht railway (part of the North-South Corridor inside Iran) and a tender has been held for construction the Rasht-Anzali-Astara line.

"Several companies from China, Azerbaijan and Russia are ready to take part in the Qazvin-Rasht railway project, but it has not been finalized yet,” he added.