Iran and Azerbaijan commit to secure, mutually respectful future: FM Araghchi

Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, has welcomed the expansion of ties with neighbouring Azerbaijan, stating that Tehran and Baku are committed to building a ‘shared, secure and mutually respectful’ future, local media reported on Friday.

“Tehran and Baku are determined to build a common, secure and honorable future based on mutual respect,” he said following a visit to Baku early this week during which he held high-level meetings with Azerbaijani officials.

"The relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, beyond geographical proximity, are a manifestation of deep historical, cultural and civilisational ties rooted in the ancient kinship of the peoples on both sides of the Aras," he added.

In a post on Instagram about his visit, he highlighted the promotion of relations between neighbouring Iran and Azerbaijan.

"Today, these relations are expanding in all areas, including economic and transit, political, cultural and humanitarian, and the two countries are determined to elevate their cooperation to a strategic level by relying on this common support," Araghchi said.

He added that his talks with President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, and Speaker of the National Assembly Sahiba Gafarova were “detailed and constructive”. In all meetings, he said, the necessity of maintaining stability and security in the South Caucasus was emphasised as a prerequisite for the progress and prosperity of all countries.

‘It was stated that no third party should be able to have a negative impact on the constructive relations between the two countries,’ he stressed, according to the official IRNA news agency.

In a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart in Baku on Monday, Araghchi said that Tehran welcomes and supports the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which are both neighbouring countries of Iran.

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