Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Tehran: Deputy FM: Iran-Azerbaijan relations based on mutual respect

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Tehran: Deputy FM: Iran-Azerbaijan relations based on mutual respect

    Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA, Iran
    Aug 24 2012



    IRI Deputy FM: Iran-Azerbaijan relations based on mutual respect


    Baku, Aug 24, IRNA - Deputy IRI Foreign Minister in Asian and Oceania
    Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi said here Friday Islamic Republic of
    Iran's relations with Republic of Azerbaijan have been based on mutual
    respect throughout the past 20 years.

    Araqchi added in an exclusive interview with IRNA late Friday night,
    `Despite the ups and downs in Iran-Azerbaijan political relations, by
    establishing a Joint Political Consultations Committee, the two sides
    have thus far had good and constructive consultations in various
    fields thus far.

    Elaborating on the Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Political Consultations
    Committee, he reiterated, `The Joint Political Consultations Committee
    of Iran and Azerbaijan is scheduled to meet once every six months,
    rotating between Tehran and Baku, at the level of deputy foreign
    ministers, and to discuss the issues of mutual interest, including the
    existing problems between the two countries.'

    Pointing out that his visit of Baku was aimed at participating at the
    Joint Political Consultations Committee, Araqchi added, `During the
    course of my five hour talks with Azerbaijan Republic Deputy Foreign
    Minister Khalaf Khalafev issues of mutual interest for the two
    countries, regional and international developments were surveyed and
    discussed.'

    According to him, the existing problems between the two (Muslim
    neighboring) countries are due to foreign elements, because some
    foreign countries are opposed to friendly (and brotherly) relations
    between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan,
    and therefore they try to sow the seeds of discord between Tehran and
    Baku.

    - Necessity of President Aliyev's presence at NAM Summit

    The Iranian deputy FM reiterated, `In the course of my Friday talks
    with my Azerbaijani counterpart the issue of President Mahmoud
    Ahmadinejad's invitation for his Azeri counterpart President Ilham
    Aliyev was discussed.'

    He reiterated, `We believe the presence of the president of Azerbaijan
    Republic at the Tehran 16th NAM Summit would leave a very positive and
    constructive effect on Tehran-Baku relations.'

    Araqchi reiterated, `Azerbaijan Republic is a member of the
    Non-Aligned Movement and the thoughts of Azerbaijan Republic leaders
    can contribute greatly to the success of the NAM movement.'

    The Iranian deputy foreign minister said, `The presence of President
    Aliyev at Tehran NAM Summit would be a turning point contributing to
    solving of many existing problems between the two countries.'

    - Expansion of economic ties

    Araqchi furthermore emphasized the need for expansion of economic
    relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of
    Azerbaijan Republic, saying, `The matter was surveyed in negotiations
    with Mr. Khalafev, and it was agreed that the first Joint Economic
    Commission of Iran and Azerbaijan would meet in Baku in the future.'

    The deputy FM reiterated, `It was also agreed that the Azeri friends
    would announce the time for convening of the first Joint Economic
    Commission of Iran and Azerbaijan.'

    According to him the Joint Economic Commission of Iran and Azerbaijan
    can provide the path for expansion of bilateral economic relations
    more than ever before.

    - Developing cultural relations

    Islamic Republic of Iran Deputy Foreign Minister in Asia and Oceania
    Affairs Araqchi reiterated, `Keeping in mind the existence of lots of
    cultural commonalties between the two countries, in talks with the
    deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan Republic ways for the expansion
    of cultural relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and
    Azerbaijan Republic were surveyed.'

    - Meeting with Azerbaijan Republic Foreign Minister

    Noting that all in all he had a good round of negotiations with
    Khalafev, Araqchi said, `Also in a separate meeting with Azerbaijan
    Republic Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov we decided to resolved the
    existing problems between the two countries as soon as possible so
    that a new round of constructive relations between the Islamic
    Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan would begin in very
    near future.'

    - Decision over legal regime of the Caspian Sea

    The IRI deputy minister of foreign affairs focusing on the legal
    regime of the Caspian Sea, said, `Deciding over the legal regime of
    the Caspian sea is possible only in the presence of the entire five
    littoral countries of the Caspian Sea is necessary and therefore,
    signing any bilateral agreement on the matter is ineffective.'

    Araqchi emphasized, `The Islamic Republic of Iran all the same
    believes bilateral negotiations over deciding the legal regime of the
    Caspian Sea can affect that regime, and therefore Iran continues its
    negotiations with the littoral countries of the Caspian Sea on the
    matter, hoping that these talks would lead to making a shared final
    decision over the legal regime of the Caspian Sea.

    - Syrian developments

    Pointing out that the Syrian developments were discussed in his talks
    with the Azeri deputy foreign minister, Araqchi said, `In Syria the
    demand of the Syrian nation for implementation of basic reforms must
    be respected and the Islamic Republic of Iran, too, emphasizes that
    the righteous demands of the Syrian nation must be met.'

    He all the same reiterated, `Implementing political reforms amid
    foreign interference is impossible, particularly more so because these
    interferences is accompanied with forwarding weapons and money, while
    any type of interference further complicates the ongoing crisis in
    that country.'

    - Annan's six point plan still supported

    According to the Iranian deputy FM, the political reforms need to be
    implemented gradually and peacefully, and therefore, the Islamic
    Republic of Iran still supports the six article plan of the former UN
    special envoy Mr. Kofi Annan.

    Araqchi meanwhile emphasized, `Military intervention is not a solution
    for the Syrian problems, which are in need of political solutions, and
    must be solved peacefully.'

    Araqchi said, `Syria has always been the forefront for combat against
    the Zionist regime and it is clearly seen that the Zionist regime is
    one of the major involved sides in the combat against the Syrian
    government, which is one major reason why foreign interference,
    particularly the Zionists' interference in Syria must be ended.'

    - Iran-Azerbaijan relations' ups and downs

    Iran has an embassy in Baku and a consulate-general in Nakhichevan
    City. Azerbaijan has an embassy in Tehran and a consulate-general in
    Tabriz. Both countries are full members of the Economic Cooperation
    Organization (ECO), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and
    the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).



    Iran and Azerbaijan have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran
    mediated between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh
    conflict.

    Iran was one of the first countries to establish full diplomatic
    relations with Azerbaijan. Following the declaration of the Parliament
    of Azerbaijan to restore independence of Azerbaijan Republic on
    October 18, 1991 and in early December 1991, Iranian foreign minister
    at the time, Ali Akbar Velayati, visited Baku, where he signed a
    number of agreements on political, economic, and cultural cooperation
    and pledged to support Azerbaijan's membership in the Organization of
    the Islamic Conference (now the Organization of Islamic Cooperation).
    Within the few days after the visit, Iran recognized Azerbaijan on
    January 4, 1992, upgraded its consulate in Baku to establish full
    diplomatic relations.

    After the rise of Popular Front of Azerbaijan to power in June 1992,
    the newly-elected President Abulfaz Elchibey endorsed the unification
    of the Azerbaijani populations of his country and Iranian Azerbaijan,
    and to that end, autonomy for the Iranian Azerbaijanis, a stance which
    alienated the Iranian government.

    Ironically, Elchibey was against the breakup of his own nation based
    on ethnic lines, stating 'Armenians have been living in Azerbaijan for
    centuries, and as full citizens of the state - just like the Lezgins,
    Tats, and Talyish... let them continue to live here as equal citizens
    before the law - but they must obey the laws of the state, no country
    would demand any less. He also denounced Iran's peace efforts during
    the Nargorno-Karabakh conflict, claiming Iran was attempting to give
    Armenia the advantage. However, during Nagorno-Karabakh War, Iran
    pressured Armenia and Karabakh Armenians to halt the offensive. Veiled
    threats first appeared in the English-language Kayhan International:

    `If our peace and border security is going to be threatened... our
    leaders cannot afford to let the situation take care of itself.'

    This statement was followed by official warnings from the Iranian
    Foreign Ministry, accompanied by military reinforcements along Iran's
    borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia. Iran also gave financial aid to
    Nakhchivan and pressured Armenia to refrain from attacking the
    enclave.

    Since then however, the two nations have had relatively good
    relations, although tensions have sometimes been high, cooperating in
    many different areas including trade, security, and the energy sector.
    However, some tensions include the growing relationship between the
    United States, Israel, and Azerbaijan, Caspian Sea territorial issues,
    and Iran's support for Armenia. President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan
    had said that he did not support a United States attack against Iran.

    Novruz Mamedov, Azerbaijani presidential international affairs
    department head in 2005, has also said that Azerbaijan would not allow
    the United States to build bases within Azerbaijani territory and
    would not help in an attack against Iran.

    In May 2005 Baku and Tehran signed a non-aggression pact barring third
    countries from using their territories for offensive operations
    against each other.

    In March 2006, during the World Congress of Azerbaijanis convention in
    Baku, a number of participants addressed both the concept of a
    'unified Azerbaijan' and 'human rights abuses' against Azeris in Iran.
    Certain anti-Iran claims during an official seminar in Baku were
    harmful to relations between the two countries and were especially
    against the interests of the Republic of Azerbaijan

    Nevertheless, the relations between the two republics are once again developing.

    On December 20, 2005 Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev and Iranian
    President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended the opening ceremony of a new
    gas pipeline from Iran to Azerbaijan's landlocked Nakhchivan
    Autonomous Region, which is separated from the mainland of Azerbaijan
    by a strip of Armenian territory. Nakhchivan has been cut off from gas
    supplies as a result of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
    Nagorno-Karabakh. Under a 25-year swap contract signed between the two
    countries in August 2004, the new pipeline will supply the region with
    Iranian natural gas. Azerbaijan will also deliver its gas to Iran's
    northeastern provinces. The volume of gas imports to Nakhchivan is
    expected to reach 250 million cubic meters in 2006 and 350 million
    cubic meters in 2007.

    On February 3, 2007 Azerbaijan's minister of communications and
    information technology, Ali Abbasov, and the head of the Iranian State
    Broadcasting Agency, Ezzatollah Zarghami, signed a Memorandum of
    Understanding (MOU) on bilateral media cooperation.

    On March 19, 2007, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran joined
    President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia to inaugurate a gas pipeline to
    pump Iranian natural gas to Armenia. Armenia is Azerbaijan's arch-foe.

    Azerbaijan's reel of Eurovision Song Contest 2009 depicted the
    Maqbaratoshoara, a famous monument and a symbol of the Iranian city of
    Tabriz and the northwestern region of Iran, shown among Azerbaijani
    national monuments. This has been perceived by many Iranians as a
    violation of Iranian territorial integrity.

    On November 11, 2009, Iran unilaterally lifted visa regime for
    Azerbaijani citizens.

    Courtesy: Wikipedia for the background on Iran-Azerbaijan relations

Working...
X