The President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi said that the deep historical, cultural and religious relations between Iran and its neighbor Azerbaijan unbreakable.
President Raisi made the remarks in a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Sunday after the inauguration of The Qiz Qalasi dam on the Aras River in northwestern Iran.
He said the major project, which took two decades to complete, “is a symbol of the development of the region and a sign of the determination of the two countries and nations to expand cooperation.”
“The Aras River has always been a focal point for the connection between the people of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan,” he added.
During the inauguration ceremony, Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev also highlighted the historical friendship between the two countries, saying both sides will support each other in regional and international organizations in order to improve security in the region.
The dam is expected to boost the neighboring countries’ economy and agriculture by increasing the volume of water stored in the upstream Khodaafarin dam to 2 billion cubic meters per year.
According to a report, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said that Iran and the Azerbaijan Republic will continue to support the Palestinian people as both sides hate the Zionist regime.
“The Palestine issue is the most important issue of the Islamic world, and the Iranian and Azerbaijani nations have no doubts in their support for the Palestinian people and their hatred towards the Zionist regime”, Raisi said on Sunday during talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
The two presidents met on the sidelines of a ceremony to inaugurate the joint Qiz Qalasi Dam built on the border river of Aras.
President Raisi hailed the project as a symbol of development and a sign of the determination of the two countries to expand mutual cooperation.
He also said that Iran’s relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan are “unbreakable” and extend beyond neighborliness.
“As the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution has said, Iran’s relations with the brotherly and friendly country of Azerbaijan extend beyond neighborliness. This bond is strong and is rooted in the beliefs of the two nations. The heart-felt relations between the two countries are unbreakable.”
Raisi further said that Iran and Azerbaijan, in addition to boosting their mutual ties, should also boost regional and extra-regional cooperation through the organizations of which both sides are members.
Some parties may be unhappy with the bond between Tehran and Baku, but what is important is the interests of the two nations that are determined to turn their borders into points for further progress, Raisi said, adding that Iran believes that insecurity at the joint border with Azerbaijan will harm both countries.
Iran respects Azerbaijan sovereignty
Also in his remarks, President Raisi said that Iran was among the first countries announcing that the Karabakh region belongs to Azerbaijan, as the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity should be preserved.
Raisi meanwhile announced Iran’s readiness to export engineering services to Azerbaijan for construction projects in Karabakh.
