BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. Significant
opportunities exist for expanding bilateral ties between Iran and
Azerbaijan within the field of urban planning, Gholamreza Kazemian
Shirvan, Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran,
told Trend on the
sidelines of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in
Baku.
The deputy minister spoke extensively about the prospects for
urban planning cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran.
Expressing appreciation to the Azerbaijani side for organizing
the global forum, the deputy minister noted that such international
platforms remain essential for fostering experience exchange among
regional countries. "We thank the Government of Azerbaijan for
organizing WUF13. It is gratifying that this conference takes place
in a location close to our country," he said.
Gholamreza Kazemian Shirvan noted that historical and cultural
links between Iran and Azerbaijan have naturally shaped similar
approaches to architecture and municipal design. "Iran and
Azerbaijan share numerous commonalities in urban planning and
architecture, rooted in historical ties and cultural similarities.
This creates a solid foundation for broader cooperation in urban
development," he noted.
According to him, bilateral interaction can effectively cover
the preparation of master plans, residential quarter designs, and
the execution of diverse construction projects. "Extensive
opportunities exist for cooperation in formulating urban
development plans, executing construction projects, housing
development, and other sectors. Iran possesses vast public and
private sector experience in this field, which we stand ready to
share with Azerbaijan. Iranian urban planning consulting,
architectural, and construction firms hold deep expertise, and we
remain eager to exchange these capabilities," he added.
He emphasized that Azerbaijan has also gained significant urban
planning and architectural expertise in recent years, reinforcing a
mutual interest in formal collaboration. "Azerbaijan possesses
vital experience in urban planning and architecture, especially
from recent years. This creates an excellent basis for cooperation
among government agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental
organizations," Kazemian noted.
The deputy minister added that while current interaction
primarily bears a scientific and research-driven character, both
sides plan to transform these relations into practical project
implementation in the future.
He also touched upon the mutual study of urban planning projects
implemented in the Karabakh region, alongside municipal development
practices along the Caspian Sea coast. "Presently, cooperation
remains largely research-oriented, but we aim to transition these
ties to the project and execution level," he explained.
The deputy minister revealed that the two nations expect to sign
a formal memorandum of understanding on urban planning and
architectural cooperation in the near future. "Inshallah, a
memorandum of cooperation will undergo signing between the Ministry
of Roads and Urban Development of the Islamic Republic of Iran and
the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of
Azerbaijan," he stated.
In conclusion, he emphasized that expanding urban planning
cooperation between the two countries will contribute significantly
to regional development and knowledge transfer.
The third day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum
(WUF13) is underway in Baku.
On the first day, a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New
Urban Agenda, a roundtable of ministers, assemblies of women and
civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban
well-being were held. A ceremony for raising the flags of the
United Nations and Azerbaijan also took place within the framework
of the forum.
The second day of the forum drew attention with the first-ever
Leaders Summit. High-level discussions on the global housing
crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience were held that
day. At the same time, the Mexico City pavilion was inaugurated
within the framework of WUF13. The pavilion was presented as an
important platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin
American region and preparing for WUF14.
WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered
participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held
under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and
communities,” the forum brings together governments, international
organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to
strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban
development.
