Azerbaijan Assured of Embassy Security in Tehran

Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Nasser Kanaani said Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Azeri counterpart have held talks on the reopening of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tehran.

“We are currently in a very good and constructive bilateral path. The two sides (Iran and Azerbaijan Republic) have agreed to get past what has happened in the bilateral ties within the framework of dialogue,” he added.

Pointing to the Iranian foreign minister’s meeting with the president of Azerbaijan on the sidelines of a recent meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Baku, Kanaani said the efforts to restore relations between the two neighbors are on the right track.

“Iran is aware of its responsibilities and will act responsibly. Naturally, the embassy of that country (the Republic of Azerbaijan) will enjoy maximum security (in Tehran),” the spokesman stated.

Tehran-Baku relations became strained when Azerbaijan’s embassy in the Iranian capital came under an armed attack on January 27.

The attacker killed an embassy staff member and injured two others. The Baku government shut down its embassy in Tehran afterwards.

Azerbaijan termed the attack a "terrorist" incident, although a probe has shown that the assailant was motivated by "personal and family-related problems."

Later, Baku expelled four Iranian diplomats, prompting Tehran to respond with a similar move.

The Iranian and Azeri foreign ministers have held several rounds of talks in recent months about ways to settle the problems and correct misunderstandings between the two countries, with both emphasizing the importance of mutual respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the two states.