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Tehran: Iranian, Azeri presidents call for expansion of ties

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  • Tehran: Iranian, Azeri presidents call for expansion of ties

    Tehran Times
    Jan 25 2005

    Iranian, Azeri presidents call for expansion of ties

    Tehran Times Political Desk
    TEHRAN -- Immediately after the formal ceremony to welcome Azeri
    President Ilham Aliyev to Tehran, Iranian president Mohammad Khatami
    and his Azeri counterpart talked to reporters at a joint press
    conference in which they called for the expansion of Tehran-Baku
    relations.

    President Khatami said that Iran is keen on the further development
    of relations with the Azerbaijan Republic.

    Responding to an Azeri reporter about what Iran will do to help
    resolve the Karabakh crisis, President Khatami said that Iran is
    among the few countries which supports Azerbaijani national
    sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Iran believes that the
    Karabakh crisis can be resolved with logic and understanding between
    the two parties without resorting to force."

    "I believe that the Karabakh conflict will be resolved if the two
    sides seriously decide to do so," IRNA quoted President Khatami as
    saying.

    He said that Iran has friendly relations with both Azerbaijan and
    Armenia and is ready to mediate between them to help resolve the
    crisis and also hopes for an immediate settlement of the Karabakh
    conflict.

    Another Azeri reporter asked Khatami whether there is any similarity
    between occupation of the Arab lands by the Zionist regime and
    occupation of Karabakh by Armenia, the Iranian president said that
    Iran condemns occupation with the use of force by any country.

    "Still, there is a difference. I believe Israel has occupied the
    entirety of Palestine and has also established an illegitimate
    existence, but Armenia is a country itself. But at the same time,
    occupation and seizure of even an inch of another country's territory
    should be condemned, and the international community should help end
    that occupation," President Khatami said.

    President Aliyev told reporters that his visit to Iran is aimed at
    developing relations in all fields including the economy.

    He pointed to the accords President Khatami has signed during his
    visit to Baku and said the Azerbaijan Republic calls for
    implementation of these accords.

    The Azeri president added that Tehran-Baku relations are developing
    rapidly and political and economic cooperation is excellent.

    "The exchange of visits by the presidents of both countries indicates
    the great extent of relations that we both enjoy," President Aliyev
    said. MS/DJ
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