Tehran seeks Baku’s cooperation for Azerbaijani-language channel

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Iranian official has called on Azerbaijan to cooperate with the new TV channel in Azerbaijani, which will begin broadcasting in Iran.

Mohammad Ahgari, the deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Company made the remarks during his visit to Baku, Iranian embassy in Azerbaijan told Trendon May 13.

The embassy said this issue was discussed at a meeting held by Ahgari with Arastun Mehdiyev and Vugar Aliyev, the deputies of the head of socio-political issues of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration.

During the meeting, the Iranian official said the preparatory work for launching the broadcast of the TV channel is nearing completion. He added that the new Iranian television channel in the Azerbaijani language will start broadcasting in the next three weeks.

Azerbaijan and Iran reached last year an agreement about broadcasting an Azerbaijani-language TV channel on Iran's territory - home to nearly 30 million Azerbaijanis.

Ahgari also noted that the channel will cover programs and shows related to society, culture and arts, broadcast news, movies, TV series, cartoons and documentaries all in the Azerbaijani language.

He called on Azerbaijani media to cooperate with the new TV channel to improve on the quality of its programs.

The official also added that the new channel will broadcast programs about the close cultural and economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran.

Ezzatollah Zarghami, the former head of IRIB said earlier that a 24-hourAzerbaijani-language TV channel would be broadcasted around the clock in Iran.

Azerbaijan and Iran have already agreed on all outstanding issues of frequency resources regulation in the border territories during the visit of an Azerbaijani delegation to Tehran last June.

Cooperation in the field of information and communication technologies will open the Iranian ICT market to Azerbaijani companies. Meanwhile, Iranian companies will gain access to the Azerbaijani market.

Azerbaijan and Iran have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992.