Tehran, Baku Can Resolve Existing Problems in Mutual Relations

The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran and Baku are capable of resolving the existing problems in their relations without intervention of third parties.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in an early Monday phone call with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov.
During the conversation, Iran’s top diplomat said, “Relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan are such that they can resolve the existing problems in their ties in a bilateral manner and put them on the right track,” IRNA reported.
He also touched upon the most important regional and international developments, stressing the necessity of continued and close consultations between the two neighboring countries.
The Azeri foreign minister lauded Amir-Abdollahian’s “constructive efforts” toward settling the existing tensions in the two countries’ relations.
Bayramov described his conversation with the Iranian foreign minister as “positive”, expressing hope that bilateral relations would further expand following the resolution of a number of outstanding issues in the near future.
The two foreign ministers also discussed other issues of mutual interest, including the North-South Transport Corridor as well as future cooperation within such regional and international organizations as the Economic Cooperation Organization and the Non-Aligned Movement.
During an earlier telephone conversation in June, the foreign ministers had emphasized the need for the two neighbors to resolve the existing misunderstandings in the best interest of their mutual ties.
Back then, both top diplomats insisted on the need for the continuation of consultations between Tehran and Baku, adding that the two countries must exchange technical and specialized teams to help eliminate their differences.
Tehran-Baku relations have deteriorated in recent years amid Israel’s growing footprint in Azerbaijan. An incident at Azerbaijan’s embassy in the Iranian capital in January added to tensions.
Azerbaijan termed the attack a “terrorist” incident, although a probe revealed that the attacker was motivated by “personal and family-related problems.”
Later, Baku expelled four Iranian diplomats, prompting Tehran to respond with a similar move.
At the same time, Azerbaijan has taken several measures to bolster its ties with Israel, hosting the regime’s president Isaac Herzog in late May, despite warnings from Iran.
After his meeting with Aliyev, Herzog said the two had spoken in depth about global and regional security, claiming that the regime was “endangered and threatened by Iran.”
Earlier this year, Israel’s foreign minister Eli Cohen claimed he had agreed with Bayramov on an anti-Iranian posture.
Tehran has criticized Baku for its growing partnership with the Israeli regime, warning the Azerbaijani government against allowing outsiders to destabilize the region.