IRAN REFUTES RECENT ALLEGATIONS MADE BY AZERBAIJAN

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Dec 17 2007

Iran’s embassy to Baku issued a statement on Monday to strongly refute
recent allegations made by the Republic of Azerbaijan against Iran
and described it as a futile orchestrated scenario which aims to
shatter existing ties between the two countries.

The statement refuted unfounded allegations on the arrest of some
Azeri nationals for cooperating with intelligence services in Iran as
well as the recent communique issued by the Azeri National Intelligent
Ministry to this end.

"We are confident to acknowledge that such a scenario has not been
conducted by the Azeri high ranking officials," underlined the
statement.

It is not also acceptable that the scenario had been merely
masterminded by the US or Zionist regime without some help from
certain Azeri low ranking officials, said the statement.

It seems they try to confront Azeri officials with a pre- masterminded
plot, the statement said.

"We doubt whether the Azeri high ranking officials know about the
scenario because it seeks to create obstruction in current ties
between the two countries," said the statement.

Wide coverage of a special film by various Azeri TV channels at one
night and at this very sensitive juncture indicates that the issue
is not irrelevant to political developments, said the statement.

Simultaneous with initiation of talks on Karabakh and developing ties
with Armenia, the masterminders of the scenario try to deviate public
opinions of pressure exerted by US government on Azeri government to
this end, it said.

The scenario also seeks to push Azeri government to follow US policies
in dealing with the Islamic Republic of Iran, it pointed out.

The scenario tries to imply that the visit of Azeri nationals to
Iran mainly to religious cities could create problems for them and
shatter religious and cultural commonalities between the two countries,
said the statement.

It is incumbent to Azeri officials not to let aliens interfere in
the country’s internal affairs and damage the country’s ties with
the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The statement urged all ranks of Azeri officials to exercise vigilance
and not to pursue policies of the ill-wishers.