Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani Minister of Defense said the country would not allow any power to attack Iran from its soil.

"No force will be able to attack our neighboring countries using Azerbaijan's territory," Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference with Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghani in Tehran on April 15, Iranian media reported.

He said Azerbaijan's neighboring countries are not in danger from its territory.

"We will not allow it. This is the official policy of Azerbaijan, and we have openly declared it in international and regional structures," Hasanov said.

He stressed that the military bases of other countries cannot be deployed in the Azerbaijani territories in accordance with the Constitution of the country.

Hasanov further noted that Azerbaijan and Iran have many things in common, and friendly and fraternal relations have always existed between the two countries.

"During the visit, meetings were held with the Minister of Defense, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, and the First Vice President of Iran. There were discussions on cooperation in the defense sector. We also discussed regional and international issues, and our perspectives on them coincide," Hasanov said.

On the same day, Hasanov met with the Chief of Staff of Iranian Armed Forces General Hassan Firuzabadi as part of his visit to Tehran.

Security and stability in the region and the development of bilateral ties were discussed at the meeting.

Hasanov wrapped up his two-day official visit to Tehran on April 15.

Azerbaijan and Iran have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992.

Data from the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan shows that trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $281.03 million in 2013, which is 6.13 percent higher than 2012. The figure stood at $263.785 million in 2012.