Iran Calls For Enhanced Ties With Azerbaijan: FM

Tehran, March 13, IRNA – Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Tuesday that Iran calls for enhanced relations and cooperation with the Republic of Azerbaijan. According to the Information and Press Bureau of the ministry of foreign affairs, Salehi made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev in Tehran. Referring to common historical and cultural commonalities between both countries, Salehi said grounds for expansion of relations between the two sides are well-prepared. Referring to economic sanctions imposed on Iran by the West and the US in particular, he said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been exposed to such pressures because of its support for the oppressed Palestinian nation and its opposition to atrocities and crimes of the Zionist regime. For his part the Azeri defense minister said Azerbaijan seeks to benefit from Iran’s valuable experiences in various fields and called for implementation of already signed agreements between the two countries. The Republic of Azerbaijan under no circumstances lets any country use its soil for military action against Iran, he said. Some individuals in Azerbaijan never care about the two sides' common interests and the Azeri government is determined to control them, he said./end