Azerbaijan will not allow other countries to use its territory to launch an attack on neighboring Iran, Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Safar Abiyev said on Monday.
“We will not allow Azerbaijan’s soil to be used against Iran under any conditions,” Abiyev was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying after meeting his Iranian counter Ahmad Vahidi in Tehran.
“We want regional security and peace and believe strengthening military ties between the two countries will guarantee that,” he said.
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran always supports the independence, grandeur, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”
“Ever since remote past the relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Azerbaijan have always been intimate and brotherly and there has never been any problem in our nations’ bilateral ties,” he added.
“We are certain that no threat would ever be imposed against Iran from the side of our friendly and brother country of Azerbaijan and I assure you that Tehran-Baku relations would never be damaged, because the Islamic Republic of Iran always considers the advancement and grandeur of the Republic of Azerbaijan as its own advancement, and this is not a matter to be easily destroyed,” Ahmadinejad pointed out.
Ahmadinejad then referred to the constructive negotiations between the Defense Ministers of the two countries, arguing that “efforts must be made so that these relations would expand more than ever before, because the expansion of Tehran-Baku relations would in addition to our two countries’ benefit, secure the interests of the entire regional countries.”
Earlier in the day the Azeri Defense Minister had a meeting with his Iranian counterpart. “Islamic Republic of Iran and Republic of Azerbaijan relations are historical and their cooperation in field of defense provides regional security,” Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi commented.
“Iran is ready to develop relations with Republic of Azerbaijan and to help the resolution of Karabakh issue,” Vahidi stated.
He noted that Iran and Azerbaijan Republic as two important countries of the region should confer on international affairs. Vahidi expressed Iran’s readiness to provide Azerbaijan with its needed military equipment.
The Azeri Minister said that “although enemies are struggling to mar Baku-Tehran relations, the two countries must manage to stop hostile media from misusing the situation.” He described Iran-Azerbaijan defense cooperation as a key to peace and stability of the region.
Iran and Azerbaijan have had diplomatic relations since the latter's independence from the former Soviet Union. The two countries have a majority Shi'a population and share many cultural commonalties.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has made extensive mediation efforts to settle the dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh.
Source: IRNA; ISNA; Reuters
