Iran to Maintain Close Ties with Azerbaijan: Araqchi
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi highlighted the uninterrupted economic cooperation with the Republic of Azerbaijan despite the pressure of sanctions, saying Tehran will keep working with Baku on the basis of mutual respect.
In remarks at a conference on the Karabakh conflict, held in Qom on Monday, Araqchi said Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan have maintained their economic relations in the difficult era of sanctions.
“Azerbaijan has been one of our major neighbors over the past years, particularly at the time of sanctions, and we will preserve our ties on the basis of mutual respect and interests,” he said.
On the most recent round of clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Araqchi voiced Iran’s opposition to any threat to the territorial integrity of countries.
He also noted that Baku has allayed Iran’s concerns about the presence of Takfiri groups in the region, saying the Azeri authorities have assured that those terrorist groups have no place in the Azerbaijan Republic.
Pointing to the grounds for the expansion of relations between the two neighbors, the deputy minister said Iran and Azerbaijan have set up various joint projects and enjoy a remarkable volume of cross-border exchange.
Iran and Azerbaijan have accelerated efforts in recent years to forge closer partnership in various areas.
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev has made several official visits to Tehran over the past few years.
In one of the trips in 2016, the two sides signed eleven memorandums of understanding and agreements to promote mutual cooperation in a range of fields.
