Official Blasts Anti-Iran Article in Azeri Daily

A senior Azeri presidential official lambasted the publication of an anti-Iran article in the Azeri-language Olaylar newspaper, reiterating such articles do not reflect the official stance of Azerbaijan.

“The article is not the stance of Baku concerning Iran,” Norouz Mohammadov told reporters in Baku on Friday.

The Azeri official pointed to religious and historical commonalities between Iran and Azerbaijan, and said, “The political, economic, cultural, and social relations between the two countries are rapidly expanding.”

Mohammadov reiterated that such moves cannot prevent the two neighboring countries from continuing their mutual cooperation.

The Azeri official described articles similar to Olaylar’s as worthless, adding that the Azeri Foreign Ministry has already voiced regret over the publication of article in Olaylar newspaper.

On Thursday, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry in a statement regretted publication of the anti-Iran article in Olaylar newspaper, reiterating such articles do not reflect the official stance of Azerbaijan.

It noted that there are certain political currents trying to disrupt the good and friendly relations between Tehran and Baku.

The statement pointed to the upward trend of political, cultural and social ties between Iran and Azerbaijan as well as historical, cultural and religious commonalities between the two countries.

Despite such friendly relations between Iran and Azerbaijan, it has been witnessed recently that certain forces by adopting an unfriendly approach towards Azerbaijan-Iran relations are trying to disrupt their bilateral ties in a purposeful way, it added.

Such attempts are contradictory to interests of the Republic of Azerbaijan and those of Iran and do not suit the close and friendly relations between the two countries, the statement underlined.

The foreign ministry expressed the hope that such measures will come to an end in a bid to avoid creating a rift between the two countries.

Meantime, Iranian Ambassador to Baku Mohsen Pakayeen, described the Azeri Foreign Ministry’s statement as a timely measure in denunciation of Olaylar’s article.

Pakayeen said that it goes without saying that certain third parties are trying to disrupt the relations between Iran and Azerbaijan.

The Iranian ambassador underlined the need for reinforcing Tehran-Baku friendly relations, and called intellectual and media circles not to continue their efforts in this regard and do not allow the opposition to disrupt the relations of the two countries.