Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi speaks during the opening ceremony of the First Caspian Governors' Forum in the northern city of Rasht, Iran, Nov. 18, 2025. Iran on Tuesday opened the First Caspian Governors' Forum in Rasht, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral states. (Xinhua/Shadati)
TEHRAN, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Tuesday opened the First Caspian Governors' Forum in the northern city of Rasht, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral states.
Senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, joined representatives from Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, as well as governors from Iran's coastal provinces, at the opening ceremony.
According to the event's official website, participants will discuss joint projects and explore ways to expand cooperation in economic, environmental, cultural and tourism fields. They will also review plans to improve transit links, develop the North-South Corridor, enhance port capacities, and establish interprovincial trade arrangements.
Addressing the gathering, Araghchi said Iran's foreign policy prioritizes its neighbors and that Tehran is working to harness "the vast political, economic, cultural and security capacities" it shares with surrounding countries.
Salehi-Amiri described the Caspian Sea's 6,500-km shoreline as a largely untapped resource for regional tourism. He said Iran welcomed 7.39 million foreign tourists in the last Iranian calendar year ending March 20, 2025, while about 9 million Iranians traveled abroad during the same period, noting that the government aims to expand maritime tourism links with neighboring Caspian states. ■
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi speaks during a press conference of the First Caspian Governors' Forum in the northern city of Rasht, Iran, Nov. 18, 2025. Iran on Tuesday opened the First Caspian Governors' Forum in Rasht, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral states. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Iranian Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri speaks during the First Caspian Governors' Forum in the northern city of Rasht, Iran, Nov. 18, 2025. Iran on Tuesday opened the First Caspian Governors' Forum in Rasht, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral states. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi speaks during the opening ceremony of the First Caspian Governors' Forum in the northern city of Rasht, Iran, Nov. 18, 2025. Iran on Tuesday opened the First Caspian Governors' Forum in Rasht, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral states. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Iranian Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri speaks during the First Caspian Governors' Forum in the northern city of Rasht, Iran, Nov. 18, 2025. Iran on Tuesday opened the First Caspian Governors' Forum in Rasht, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral states. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi speaks during a press conference of the First Caspian Governors' Forum in the northern city of Rasht, Iran, Nov. 18, 2025. Iran on Tuesday opened the First Caspian Governors' Forum in Rasht, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral states. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi speaks during the opening ceremony of the First Caspian Governors' Forum in the northern city of Rasht, Iran, Nov. 18, 2025. Iran on Tuesday opened the First Caspian Governors' Forum in Rasht, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral states. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi speaks during the opening ceremony of the First Caspian Governors' Forum in the northern city of Rasht, Iran, Nov. 18, 2025. Iran on Tuesday opened the First Caspian Governors' Forum in Rasht, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral states. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi speaks during the opening ceremony of the First Caspian Governors' Forum in the northern city of Rasht, Iran, Nov. 18, 2025. Iran on Tuesday opened the First Caspian Governors' Forum in Rasht, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral states. (Xinhua/Shadati)
People attend the First Caspian Governors' Forum in Rasht, Iran, Nov. 19, 2025. Representatives from Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan took part in the event aiming to strengthen regional cooperation among the Caspian Sea littoral states. (Xinhua/Shadati)
