Azerbaijan President Receives Iranian Defence Minister, Reaffirms Commitment to Regional Peace

Baku, The Gulf Observer: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on February 6 received a delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran led by Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics Aziz Nasirzadeh, underscoring the continued strengthening of bilateral relations and shared concerns over regional stability.

During the meeting, President Aliyev recalled his recent telephone conversation with Masoud Pezeshkian, noting that high-level contacts in various formats provide valuable opportunities to address issues on the bilateral agenda. He highlighted that President Pezeshkian’s official visit to Azerbaijan last year was successful and produced positive outcomes, contributing to further development of ties between the two neighboring countries.

The Azerbaijani leader emphasized that while wars and conflicts persist in many parts of the world, peace has been established in the South Caucasus through Azerbaijan’s initiative. He stressed that this achievement is of particular importance to Iran, which borders both Azerbaijan and Armenia. Reiterating Azerbaijan’s position, President Aliyev said the country seeks peace globally, with no bloodshed or wars, and serves as an example of a successful transition from conflict to peace.

Referring to his earlier conversation with the Iranian President, President Aliyev expressed concern over the current situation in the wider region and affirmed Azerbaijan’s readiness to contribute to de-escalation efforts.

Expressing gratitude for the warm reception, Minister Nasirzadeh conveyed greetings from President Pezeshkian to President Aliyev, stating that he was visiting on the Iranian leader’s instructions. He noted President Pezeshkian’s strong goodwill toward Azerbaijan and recalled his previous visits to the country, including to Khankendi.

President Aliyev thanked the Iranian minister and asked him to convey his greetings to the Iranian head of state.

The two sides reaffirmed that bilateral relations are developing on the basis of friendship, brotherhood, and good-neighborliness, and exchanged views on prospects for enhancing cooperation in the defense sector.