TEHRAN (Iran News) – In a congratulatory message to Georgia on its National Day, Iran’s First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri expressed hope for the development of economic and trade ties with Georgia.

In his Tuesday message to Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, Jahangiri congratulated the South Caucasus country on its National Day, reported Tasnim News Agency.

He also highlighted the political will of the two countries’ senior officials for the enhancement of ties and the history of mutual cooperation between the two neighbors, expressing hope that employment of the available potentials would result in the enhancement of relations in various fields, particularly the economic and trade sectors.

Iran and Georgia have close political and economic ties and there are hundreds of companies registered by Iranians in Georgia.

Iran’s deputy minister of roads and urban development and Georgia’s deputy minister of economy discussed the latest situation of transportation of goods and passengers between the two countries in a virtual meeting last week.

At the virtual meeting, which was also attended by Iranian Ambassador to Tbilisi  Javad Qavam Shahidi, the two sides presented a report on the latest measures taken to comply with health protocols at their borders with neighboring countries after the outbreak of the coronavirus and stressed the need to resume trade between the two countries by creating “green corridors.”

Explaining the measures taken at Iran’s borders with neighboring countries and the effective implementation of health care and services for reopening borders, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abdol-Hashem Hassan-Nia called for facilitating the entry of Iran’s transit fleet into Georgia in compliance with health regulations.

The Iranian ambassador to Georgia also stressed the importance of launching a “green corridor” for the two countries’ trade and transit fleets as soon as possible and called on the two sides to work together to solve the problems of transporting goods, services, and passengers.

Emphasizing the importance of Iran’s status for Georgia in trade and tourism, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Akaki Saghirashvili referred to recent decisions made by the Corona Virus Coordination Headquarters to gradually reduce restrictions and said that the decision to lift restrictions on tourism and transit would be made in coordination with the country’s Ministry of Health.

While welcoming the activation of the Green Corridor project, he said that its realization is one of the priorities of the Georgian government in the field of transportation.

Saghirashvili also stressed the need to increase rail capacity and make the most of it in the field of transportation between the two countries.