IRNA, Iran
January 24, 2005 Monday
Iranian, Azeri presidents talk to reporters
Tehran, January 24
Immediately after the formal ceremony to welcome Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev, Iranian and Azeri presidents talked to reporters
calling for expanding Tehran-Baku relations.
President Mohammad Khatami accompanying President Ilham Aliyev told
reporters at Saadabad that Iran is keen on further development of
relations with Azerbaijan Republic.
Responding to an Azeri reporter about what Iran will do to help
resolve Karabakh crisis, President Khatami said that Iran is among
the few countries which supports Azerbaijani national sovereignty and
territorial integrity.
“Iran believes that Karabakh crisis would be resolved through logic
and understanding between the two parties without resorting to
force.”
“I believe that Karabakh conflict will be resolved if the two sides
seriously decided to do so,” President Khatami said.
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 hoped for immediate settlement of Karabakh conflict.
Another Azeri reporter asked Khatami whether there is 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 and use of force being exercised by any
country.
“Of course, there is a difference.
I believe Israel has occupied the entire Palestine and has
established illegitimate existence, but, Armenia is a country itself
and at the same time occupation and seizure of an inch of the other`s
territory is condemned and the international community should help
end the 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 Azerbaijan Republic calls for implementation
of these accords.
The Azeri president said that Tehran-Baku relations are developing
rapidly and political and economic cooperation is excellent.
“The exchange of visits by presidents of the two countries indicated
the extent of relations both countries enjoy,” President Aliyev said.