No country can attack Iran via Azerbaijan’s soil: Azeri official

TEHRAN,Apr.16(MNA) – The Azeri defense minister said on Tuesday that Baku will never allow any country to use its soil or airspace to launch a military attack against its neighbors, including Iran. “According to the Azerbaijan’s Constitution, Azerbaijan will never host the military bases of any third country, (and Baku) will never permit any power to use (Azerbaijan’s) soil to launch attacks against its neighboring countries,” said Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov, who is in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials, during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Dehqan. Hasanov said that during his meeting with General Dehqan, the two sides had discussed a range of issues, including establishing mutual cooperation in military, security, and political spheres. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Azeri defense minister said that Iran and Azerbaijan share great affinities and enjoy friendly and brotherly relations. He added that Tehran and Baku share similar views on a great deal of issues and there is the potential for the two countries to establish military cooperation. The Iranian defense minister, for his part, said that Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan have considerable common positions toward regional issues which have been put on the agenda. He also touched upon the recent visit by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev to Iran, saying the trip opened a new chapter in the relations between the two neighboring states. Last Wednesday, Aliyev visited Tehran at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani. Four cooperation agreements were signed between the two neighbors during the visit. Elsewhere in his remarks, General Dehqan cautioned against extremist movements in the region that oppose friendly ties between Tehran and Baku. Also on Tuesday, Hasanov held meetings with Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, the chief of the General Staff of Iran’s armed forces and First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri.