Azerbaijani and Iranian Presidents Hold Expanded Meeting to Strengthen Bilateral Relations

Baku, The Gulf Observer: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held an expanded meeting with President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian in Baku, reaffirming their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation and regional partnership.

Welcoming President Pezeshkian and the accompanying delegation, President Ilham Aliyev underscored the significance of the Iranian leader’s visit.

“We attach great importance to your visit. I am confident that it will have historical significance,” President Aliyev said. He noted that during their earlier restricted meeting, a broad range of issues had been discussed, and excellent opportunities for further cooperation had been identified.Highlighting recent months of close contacts and reciprocal visits between government officials of both nations, President Aliyev emphasized that many issues had been resolved and that the discussions held in preparation for this visit would serve to further strengthen Azerbaijan-Iran relations across political, economic, and other sectors.

President Masoud Pezeshkian, in his remarks, expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome, saying:
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, I once again greet my dear brother, the esteemed President of Azerbaijan, the dear guests here, and our brothers. I am very glad to be in Azerbaijan and before you.”He conveyed the greetings of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei to President Aliyev and the Azerbaijani people, stressing the deep fraternal ties that connect the two nations.
“I hope that our participation here, along with the agreements prepared by our experts in previous meetings and the agreements to be signed hereafter, will mark the beginning of broader progress in our relations with the dear, friendly, brotherly, and almost kin Azerbaijani people,” President Pezeshkian said.

Addressing the issue of regional sovereignty, President Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s firm support for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

“We recognize the right of Azerbaijan and the dear Azerbaijani people to Karabakh and other territories that must be reclaimed. We believe that Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan, and we respect this,” he affirmed.President Aliyev, expressing his gratitude for the conveyed greetings, asked that his own greetings be passed on to the Supreme Leader of Iran.

The two sides emphasized that the agreements signed during the visit would further consolidate the close ties between the two brotherly nations and contribute to building a model of regional cooperation based on mutual respect, sovereignty, and shared development goals.

Several important documents are expected to be signed during the visit, laying the foundation for expanded cooperation in multiple fields.