IRAN, AZERBAIJAN SEEKING TO IMPROVE TIES THROUGH RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

Fars News Agency
Tuesday 12 Aug 2008
Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said his
country and Azerbaijan enjoy high level of cooperation in religious
affairs, stressing that common historical and religious grounds create
good opportunity for further strengthening of bilateral ties.

"Religious identity between Iran and Azerbaijan may play an important
role to strengthen the friendship between the two countries," Mottaki
said at the meeting with Hidayat Orujov, the chairman of the Azerbaijan
State Committee on Religious Organizations, here in Tehran on Monday.

Mottaki said that mutual visits of entrepreneurs, cultural figures,
media representatives and scientists would strengthen the relations
between the two countries.

He said Iran longs for restoring friendly relations with neighbor
states, and further voiced Tehran’s preparedness to mediate talks on
the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Orujov, for his part, said his country attaches special significance
to ties with Iran, underscoring that Azerbaijan supports enhancement
of comprehensive relations with Iran.

He said Iranian and Azerbaijani media representatives’ mutual visits
would contribute to two nations’ close familiarization with each other.

Culture weeks and religious dialogue in the capital cities of
both countries will positively influence the development of mutual
understanding and relations, Orujov said.

Orujov arrived in Tehran Wednesday on an official visit at the
invitation of the head of the Iranian Culture and Islamic Relations
Organization.

Orujev also earlier met with Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic
Guidance Mohammed Hossein Safar Harandi, where the two sides expressed
satisfaction with the level of cooperation between the two countries.