Iranian Envoy Regrets Remarks by Azeri MPs on Armenia Ties
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan Mohsen Pakayeen expressed regret over remarks by some Azeri lawmakers against a recent visit to Iran by Armenia’s foreign minister.
Such “unconventional” statements do not serve to develop the relations between the two friendly and brotherly countries, Pakayeen said in a press conference.
Armenia’s Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan visited Iran earlier in June and held talks with senior Iranian officials.
On Tuesday, a number of Azerbaijani parliamentarians criticized Iran during the discussion of a draft law on approval of a cooperation between Tehran and Baku.
They voiced discontent at the growing ties between Iran and Armenia, the visit by Armenian top diplomat to Tehran, the abolition of visa regime between the two countries, and a possible trip by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to Armenia.
The Azeri parliament approved the law nonetheless.
According to APA news agency, Pakayeen said some media outlets have released information that President Rouhani will soon pay a visit to Yerevan, noting that this information is nothing but conjecture.
“The program of visits of the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran and their exact dates are determined within the framework of national interests. Of course, before each visit the Presidential Administration provides the necessary information in this regard. Over the past 3 years the Iranian and Azerbaijani presidents met 6 times, which shows the two heads of state are interested to develop relations between the two countries. The number of meetings between the presidents of the two countries for this period and the documents signed between the two countries have no analogues among Iran’s neighbors,” he said.
The Iranian envoy further said the current level of bilateral relations between Tehran and Baku is at its highest ever, and called for expanding the ties.
“In the future we are going to see Iran’s high ranking state officials visit Baku and the presidents of Iran, Russia, and Azerbaijan meet in Baku. In the future our relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan will expand even further as a neighbor, as a friendly and partner country,” he went on to say.
Earlier this month, Pakayeen had called for continuation of talks between Baku and Yerevan, stressing that Tehran still hopes that a conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh region will be resolved through peaceful means based on international regulations.
“Our stances on mountainous Karabakh has not changed and we hope that the conflict would be resolved peacefully, within the framework of territorial integrity of regional countries and in compliance with international regulations,” he told reporters on June 4.
“We support the continuation of the ceasefire and negotiations between the two countries and hope that peace talks will yield good results,” he added.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have always been tense but the situation got worse after violence in Azerbaijan’s breakaway region escalated in early April.
Baku and Yerevan have accused each other of provoking hostilities. A ceasefire was achieved on April 5, following days of clashes that led to numerous casualties on both sides.
Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control of Armenian military and separatists since a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan ended in 1994. Years of negotiations have brought little progress in resolving the dispute.
