Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed the Ağbənd–Kalaleh transport project on Oct. 9, with implementation work reported to be in its final stage, according to Vesti Baku.
The talks took place in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan, on the sidelines of regional summits. Azerbaijan’s state news agency AZERTAC confirmed the meeting between the two leaders.
The presidents also reviewed the recent visit of an Azerbaijani delegation to Iran and agreed to continue implementing the bilateral agenda discussed earlier in Bishkek.
Road Bridge Already Completed
The 216-meter road bridge across the Araz River between Ağbənd and Kalaleh has been completed. It is 24.5 meters wide, but related border and customs infrastructure must be finished before regular traffic can begin. No opening date was announced at the meeting.
The bridge will connect Azerbaijan’s 112-kilometer Horadiz–Jabrayil–Zangilan–Ağbənd highway with Iran’s road network. Construction of the bridge was confirmed as complete in September, according to an APA report citing Azerbaijan’s government.
Route Toward Nakhchivan
The project is part of a planned route through Iran linking Azerbaijan’s East Zangezur region with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Officials have also said the crossing could support freight traffic on the Persian Gulf–Black Sea corridor.
During the meeting, Pezeshkian praised Azerbaijan’s position during recent events in Iran, while Aliyev noted Tehran’s first participation in the “CIS Plus” format as a state outside the Commonwealth.