Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijan and Iran agreed to boost bilateral relations in various spheres.

The agreement came during a visit of Iranian delegation led by deputy foreign minister, the country's special envoy for Caspian Sea diplomacy, Ebrahim Rahimpour to Baku.

During the consultations, Azerbaijani delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov.

Khalafov said Azerbaijan attaches great importance to relations with Iran and added that there is appropriate ground for development of bilateral cooperation.

He said the high-level visits between Iran and Azerbaijan are significant. Khalafov also said there is regular dialogue at different levels between two sides and emphasized its importance in terms of regional stability and security.

Referring to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Khalafov said the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijan's lands by the Armenian armed forces, including the 132-kilometer long border line between Iran and Azerbaijan, is a major obstacle to peace and security in the region, as well as for sustainable economic development.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that had caused a lengthy war in the early 1990s.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenia's withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.

Khalafov stressed that Armenia stays away from large-scale international projects in the region as a result of its occupation policy.

He said Azerbaijan's occupied territories are the main source of danger to the region.

Khalafov also called for exerting pressure on Armenia by the international community and the region's countries in order to settle the conflict.

For his part, Rahimpour expressed satisfaction with his visit to Azerbaijan. He said Azerbaijan is an important strategic partner of Iran and said his country is interested in developing cooperation with Azerbaijan on the regional and international levels.

Rahimpour said Azerbaijan conducts its foreign policy in accordance with the processes ongoing in the world. He also stressed that over the past 22 years, Azerbaijan has come a long way of development.

During the meeting the parties also exchanged views on other international and regional issues of mutual interest.

Following his meetings with Azerbaijani officials, Rahimpour held a press conference on March 13.

Rahimpour noted at the press conference that the importance of both bilateral and five-party talks on the Caspian Sea's legal status was stressed during the meeting with Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalafov.

Rahimpour said he is confident that no unresolved issues will remain between the two states.

He added that the Caspian Sea is a sea of ​​peace, and its wealth must be preserved for future generations.

During the press conference, Rahimpour highlighted the meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Davos as a sign of the beginning of new relations between Baku and Tehran.

He said the two presidents have demonstrated a strong will in development of mutual relations.

Making arrangements for President Aliyev's visit to Iran is underway following the meeting of the two presidents in Davos, according to Rahimpour.

He noted a special work schedule has also been developed, which includes discussion of the development of cooperation in many areas.

Rahimpour further informed that the reciprocal visits of delegations are planned to be held in 2014.

He added that Iran intends to raise the level of relations with Azerbaijan to the level of relations with Turkey. He noted that the meetings held in Baku discussed the implementation of decisions taken by the heads of the two states in Davos.

Rahimpour said Azerbaijan and Iran are important countries in the region and the trade between them stands at half a billion U.S. dollars. He added the good relations between Iran and Azerbaijan contribute to security and stability in the region.

Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Rahimpour said this is Baku and Yerevan that should make decision regarding the mediators in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Rahimpour said if Baku and Yerevan accept the OSCE Minsk Group's mediation on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the issue will be solved soon.

He said the experience shows that conflicts should first be settled bilaterally, and then with the participation of region's countries, and Iran holds similar position on all other conflicts too.

Commenting on his visit to Nakhchivan, Rahimpour stressed that there he will discuss the development of ties. He also expressed satisfaction with what he called visiting a strong and economically developed Azerbaijan.

Rahimpour is the first representative of the new Iranian government to pay a visit to Baku.

He informed that following his visit to Azerbaijan, various visits will start from the country to Iran.

Speaking about visas, Rahimpour said that the Iranian side would be happy if Azerbaijani side abolishes visas for the citizens of Iran.

As part of his visit to Azerbaijan, earlier Rahimpour met with President Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on March 13.

During the meeting with Azerbaijani President and Iranian official, the sides discussed how to expand bilateral and multilateral relations between the two countries in a variety of fields.

At the meeting with Mammadyarov, the sides exchanged views on expansion of economic and trade relations, implementation of transport projects, realization of humanitarian and cultural projects, the development of the legal framework and the issues related to the Caspian legal status.

After Baku, Rahimpour will visit Nakhchivan on March 15-16. He will meet with the chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic VasifTalibov and other officials.