Rouhani made the remarks during atrilateral meeting with his Russian and Azeri counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev, respectively,in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku on Monday.
During the summit, Rouhanisaid Iran pays particular attention tothe expansion of ties with the regional countries.
"The development of all-out relations with neighboring countries is [one of] the priorities of Iran's foreign policy," he said, adding that the Islamic Republic welcomes any "idea and initiative to increase interaction and cooperation with its neighbors."
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, meet in Baku, Azerbaijan, on August 8, 2016. president.ir[/caption]The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic is based on cooperation, synergy and finding ways to fulfill common interests, he said, adding thatTehranfollows "awin-win policy."
The Iranian president said interaction among Tehran, Moscowand Baku can help develop and promote the latent capacities and capabilities of the three sides and create new opportunities to counter the existing challenges in the region.
"It goes without saying that such arrangements are not against any country or third party and aremerely a framework for dialog focused onthe development of regional cooperation among the three countries," Rouhanisaid.
He pointed to the close bilateral relations and consultationbetween Iran and Russia, saying that in recent years, relations between the two countrieshave spanned different areas such as the resolution of the standoff over Iran's nuclear program, reaching a nuclearagreement with the P5+1 group of countries followed by the implementation of the deal, and constructive cooperation to manage the foreign-backedcrisis in Syria.
The Iranian chief executiveadded that the Tehran-Moscowcooperation on the nuclear issue and the Syria crisiscan serve as an example and model for collaboration in other areas of common interest and can even be appliedto trilateral ties.
He highlighted the importance of interaction and cooperation amongIran, Russia and Azerbaijan, adding that all countries must work together to achieve common objectives.
Rouhani noted thatterrorism, extremism, meddling bytrans-regional countries in the internal affairs of theregional statesandusing sanctions as a tooltoadvance their political agendas are majorplights, whose elimination requires the cooperation of the three countries.
The Iranian president said Iran andAzerbaijan have taken constructive steps to boost bilateral ties, adding that the ties between Tehranand Moscoware also on the right track.
He further proposed that Iran host the next ministerial andsummit meetings amongthe three countries.
Putin, for his turn, said the summit has opened a new chapter in the relations between the three states, stressing the need forfinding joint solutions to the threat of terrorism facingtheregion.
The Russian president also called for the formulation of the Caspian Sea's legal regime, saying that finalization of the legal regime of the sea will benefit all littoral countries.
Aliyev, for his part, saidAzerbaijan followsan independent policy and while referringto the dispute between Baku and Yerevan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, saidone million Azeris have been expelled by Armenia from their land.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="454"]
(L-R) Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for a photo on the sidelines of their trilateral summit in Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku, August 8, 2016. president.ir[/caption]He said the Caspian Sea has rich oil and gas resources, adding that the sea'slittoral states should work to protect its resources.
The Azeri president said the North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC) -an ambitious intercontinental multi-modal route that would linkSt. Petersburg to Mumbai -is a huge project in the region, expressing hope that it would be launched as soon as possible.The NSTC primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia via ship, rail and road.
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) shakes hands with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, on August 8, 2016. president.ir[/caption]The three presidents signed a final statement at the end of the Baku summit.
Rouhani arrived in Baku on Sunday for a two-day official visit at the head of a high-ranking delegation.
He held talks with the Azeri president on the same dayabout ways to bolster relations in different fields. Senior Iranian and Azeri officials also signed six documents and memoranda of understanding to strengthen cooperation in various sectors. The agreements were inked in the presence of Rouhani and Aliyev.
Earlier on Monday, the Iranian and Russian presidents discussed issues of common interest and avenues for strengthening bilateral cooperation.
By Press TV
