Iran Ready to Meet Azerbaijan’s Defensive Needs

In a meeting with his Azeri counterpart here in Tehran on Monday, Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan underlined that his organization is prepared to meet the Republic of Azerbaijan’s defensive needs.

Dehqan also expressed the hope that Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov’s visit to Tehran would pave the way for the enhancement of defensive and military cooperation between Tehran and Baku.

The Azeri minister arrived in Tehran this morning for a two-day visit at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart.

Elsewhere in the meeting, Dehqan pointed to the great potential for the expansion of all-out ties between Iran and Azerbaijan, saying the two neighbors can strengthen relations via bilateral agreements.

Referring to Iran-Azerbaijan shared borders as “borders of friendship and fraternity”, the Iranian minister stressed that stronger, constructive ties between the two Muslim nations would usher in more security and calm along the shared borders.

He further emphasized the necessity of making joint efforts by the regional countries to tackle the menace of terrorism and extremism, and added, “The regional governments should seriously put the fundamental fight against terrorism, violence and its elements in the region and in the world on their agenda.”

Hasanov, for his part, expressed satisfaction with his visit to Iran, and hoped that the trip would contribute to the enhancement of Tehran-Baku ties in the defensive sphere.

“Iran is a prominent regional country and Azerbaijan’s friend and neighbor, and cooperation with it (Iran) sets a priority for our country’s foreign policy,” the visiting Azeri minister noted.

In a similar development earlier this month, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev paid an official visit to Iran on April 9, and held separate meetings with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.