He made the remarks on National TV on Tuesday evening. Earlier that day, the first meeting of governors from Caspian coastal provinces kicked off in the city of Rasht, northern Iran, under the slogan “Caspian: A Bridge for Friendship and Regional Development.”

The two-day event aims to strengthen regional cooperation, expand economic interactions and boost coordination on sustainable development and environmental protection in the world’s largest enclosed body of water. Delegations from nine foreign regions and five Iranian provinces are participating.

Gharibabadi underscored the importance of the gathering, saying last year’s summit of prime ministers paved the way for the meeting in Rasht.

He stressed that Iran’s current approach toward its neighbors is aligned with a broader region-oriented policy centered on the Caspian.

“Now, regarding neighbors, our outlook is focused on the same region-oriented policy; we have started it from the Caspian region. The Caspian littoral states have very extensive capacities, and more importantly, we have very good relations with the four coastal countries.”

He added that this emphasis does not mean Iran is paying less attention to other states in Central Asia or the Caucasus, noting that the country maintains “active cooperation” with them as well.

He pointed to the wide range of opportunities embedded in the Caspian region, saying, “This region contains diverse capacities for environmental cooperation, tourism, transportation and logistics, as well as economic and commercial collaboration.”

The official also highlighted the importance of the North–South Corridor, noting that the three principal countries involved — Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia — are all Caspian littoral states and that the project carries strategic value.

Gharibabadi said the main goal of the Rasht meeting is to create a roadmap linking the provinces and ensuring that the decisions reached move toward implementation.

He also noted Iran’s involvement in other regional frameworks.

“We have capacities in some neighboring countries and at other levels in the Shanghai [Cooperation Organization], BRICS and ECO frameworks, which are very crucial,” he said, adding that Iranian executive bodies have been encouraged to expand bilateral cooperation with members of these organizations.