Will Azerbaijan reopen its border with Iran?

Azerbaijan and Iran are discussing the possibility of resuming passenger traffic across their land border following talks between senior officials, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Reza Salehi Amiri said.

According to The Tehran Times, Amiri made the remarks during a meeting with lawmakers from Ardabil province. He said that during his visit to Azerbaijan alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev gave “positive assurances” regarding a response to the border situation.

Amiri said Baku had previously cited security concerns as the main obstacle to reopening the land border, but that the issue has now been “resolved.” He added that reopening passenger crossings could boost tourism, cross-border trade and the development of border regions. He noted that around seven million people visited Iran’s Ardabil province in the last Iranian calendar year, including a growing number of tourists from Azerbaijan.

Ardabil Governor-General Masoud Emami Yeganeh said President Pezeshkian had also stressed the need to issue short-term visas for residents of border cities in both countries.

Azerbaijan has so far made no official comment on the possible reopening of its land border with Iran. The country’s land borders have remained closed since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the quarantine regime regularly extended by the Cabinet of Ministers. Under the latest decision, the restrictions remain in place until April 1.

Observers note that any decision to reopen land borders is unlikely to be considered solely in the context of relations with Iran and would likely apply to all neighbouring countries.

N.Tebrizli