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AZERBAIJAN'S DEFENCE MINISTER PLEDGES TO MAINTAIN "BROTHERLY" RELATIONS WITH IRAN
Lilit Gevorgyan
Global Insight
March 15, 2012
Azerbaijan's Defence Minister Safar Abiyev paid an official visit to
neighbouring Iran on 12 March to assure his Iranian counterparts of
good neighbourly relations, after Baku concluded a USD1.6-billion deal
with Israel (seeAzerbaijan - Israel: 27 February 2012:). Azerbaijan
is due to receive anti-aircraft and missile defence systems as well
as 60 unmanned aerial vehicles systems from Israel. Abiyev was quoted
saying that "no country will be allowed to use to use its soil and
airspace against the Islamic Republic of Iran, since we consider Iran
as a friend and brother." Following his meeting with the Azeri envoy,
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was quoted by the official
Islamic Republic News Agency as saying, "we are sure that we will
face no problem from our brother and neighbour Azerbaijan."
Significance:Abiyev's visit follows diplomatic tensions between Iran
and Azerbaijan following the latter's arms supply deal with Israel. On
28 February, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Azerbaijani's
ambassador, Javanshir Akhundov, seeking an explanation from Baku
over the news of signing the deal. The news came at a particularly
difficult time, when Israel has openly threatened to launch airstrikes
against Iranian sites suspected to be involved in Iran's alleged
nuclear weapons programme. Azerbaijan hastily denied any links
with the stand-off between Iran and the West, but rather suggested
that the Israeli weapons will help to regain Azerbaijan's "occupied
territories" referring to the mainly ethnic Armenian self-declared
Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh that broke away over twenty years ago.
Lilit Gevorgyan
Global Insight
March 15, 2012
Azerbaijan's Defence Minister Safar Abiyev paid an official visit to
neighbouring Iran on 12 March to assure his Iranian counterparts of
good neighbourly relations, after Baku concluded a USD1.6-billion deal
with Israel (seeAzerbaijan - Israel: 27 February 2012:). Azerbaijan
is due to receive anti-aircraft and missile defence systems as well
as 60 unmanned aerial vehicles systems from Israel. Abiyev was quoted
saying that "no country will be allowed to use to use its soil and
airspace against the Islamic Republic of Iran, since we consider Iran
as a friend and brother." Following his meeting with the Azeri envoy,
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was quoted by the official
Islamic Republic News Agency as saying, "we are sure that we will
face no problem from our brother and neighbour Azerbaijan."
Significance:Abiyev's visit follows diplomatic tensions between Iran
and Azerbaijan following the latter's arms supply deal with Israel. On
28 February, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Azerbaijani's
ambassador, Javanshir Akhundov, seeking an explanation from Baku
over the news of signing the deal. The news came at a particularly
difficult time, when Israel has openly threatened to launch airstrikes
against Iranian sites suspected to be involved in Iran's alleged
nuclear weapons programme. Azerbaijan hastily denied any links
with the stand-off between Iran and the West, but rather suggested
that the Israeli weapons will help to regain Azerbaijan's "occupied
territories" referring to the mainly ethnic Armenian self-declared
Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh that broke away over twenty years ago.