Tehran Times
Jan 25 2005

Iranian, Azeri presidents call for expansion of ties

Tehran Times Political Desk
TEHRAN — Immediately after the formal ceremony to welcome Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev to Tehran, Iranian president Mohammad Khatami
and his Azeri counterpart talked to reporters at a joint press
conference in which they called for the expansion of Tehran-Baku
relations.

President Khatami said that Iran is keen on the further development
of relations with the Azerbaijan Republic.

Responding to an Azeri reporter about what Iran will do to help
resolve the Karabakh crisis, President Khatami said that Iran is
among the few countries which supports Azerbaijani national
sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Iran believes that the
Karabakh crisis can be resolved with logic and understanding between
the two parties without resorting to force.”

“I believe that the Karabakh conflict will be resolved if the two
sides seriously decide to do so,” IRNA quoted President Khatami as
saying.

He said that Iran has friendly relations with both Azerbaijan and
Armenia and is ready to mediate between them to help resolve the
crisis and also hopes for an immediate settlement of the Karabakh
conflict.

Another Azeri reporter asked Khatami whether there is any similarity
between occupation of the Arab lands by the Zionist regime and
occupation of Karabakh by Armenia, the Iranian president said that
Iran condemns occupation with the use of force by any country.

“Still, there is a difference. I believe Israel has occupied the
entirety of Palestine and has also established an illegitimate
existence, but Armenia is a country itself. But at the same time,
occupation and seizure of even an inch of another country’s territory
should be condemned, and the international community should help end
that occupation,” President Khatami said.

President Aliyev told reporters that his visit to Iran is aimed at
developing relations in all fields including the economy.

He pointed to the accords President Khatami has signed during his
visit to Baku and said the Azerbaijan Republic calls for
implementation of these accords.

The Azeri president added that Tehran-Baku relations are developing
rapidly and political and economic cooperation is excellent.

“The exchange of visits by the presidents of both countries indicates
the great extent of relations that we both enjoy,” President Aliyev
said. MS/DJ