Shafaq News/ President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on Tuesday welcomed Nechirvan Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, as he arrives in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, on a state visit.

According to an official statement by Kurdistan's presidency, both leaders asserted their commitment to intensifying Azerbaijani-Iraqi relations, with a particular emphasis on the Kurdistan Region

The talks, the statement said, focused on trade, tourism, energy, and investment prospects for Azerbaijani businesses in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

"Deepening cooperation across multiple domains, most prominently in economic spheres such as trade, tourism, and energy, was at the heart of our discussions," the statement noted.

"The imminent opening of an Azerbaijani consulate in the Kurdistan Region will be a milestone in consolidating the ties and mutual cooperation," the statement added.

Barzani and Aliyev deliberated on establishing direct flight routes between Baku and Erbil, Baghdad, as well as other Iraqi cities. They also discussed facilitating visa procedures, promoting delegate exchanges, and a spectrum of issues of mutual illness.

In a subsequent meeting attended by representatives from both sides and the acting head of the Iraqi embassy in Baku, "the focus was on mechanisms of communication and the follow-up of the key points discussed by the two presidents, to fortify the partnership and make necessary decisions accordingly."