Iran Chides Azerbaijan Republic for Unrealistic Stances

In a telephone conversation on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Azeri counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov talked about the relations between Tehran and Baku and the issues of mutual interest.

Voicing dissatisfaction with some unrealistic statements made in recent days, Amirabdollahian described respect for countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as non-interference in their domestic affairs as an important and fundamental principle.

He said that official and diplomatic channels are the best path for resolving misunderstandings and differences, emphasizing that brining up such issues in media will not only fail to help their settlement but pave the way for enemies to exploit them, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.

Amirabdollahian said the development of ties with neighbors, including Azerbaijan, is a priority in the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy agenda, stressing the necessity to promote all-out ties between the two countries.

He also invited his Azeri counterpart to join the Iranian initiative for an event, dubbed the 3+3 meeting, in Tehran as a format designed to resolve regional issues through diplomatic ways.

For his part, the Azeri foreign minister pointed to a recent meeting between the presidents of the two countries in Astana, describing the talks and contacts between officials in Tehran and Baku as positive.

Jeyhun Bayramov also expressed Azerbaijan Republic’s readiness to enhance ties with Iran and resolve misunderstandings.

The two sides also stressed the necessity to continue and promote links between different sectors and institutions of the two countries in order to enhance friendly relations and settle possible misunderstandings.