Iran ready to help final settlement of Baku-Yerevan conflict: Official

Tehran, Dec 22, IRNA -- Head of Presidential Office Mahmoud Vaezi on Tuesday expressed joy over termination of military conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying that Iran is ready to help resolve permanently and definitively the dispute between the two neighboring countries. In a meeting with Azerbaijan Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev on Tuesday, he added that Iran has always believed that differences between countries, especially neighbors, should be resolved through negotiation, and that war could in no way replace political solutions. As Azerbaijan's president has emphasized, Iran considers its border with this country as the border of peace and friendship and has always respected the territorial integrity of all countries and called on other countries to respect each other's territorial integrity, he said. It is necessary to avoid any action or movement that causes misunderstanding and creates grounds for strained relations with others, Vaezi reiterated. Noting that Iran has always been interested to enhance ties with Azerbaijan, he said that the two countries should do their best to accelerate implementation of joint projects such as the construction of railways, dams and power plants in order to pave way for the expansion of interactions and relations. Mustafayev, for his part, hailed bilateral relations, saying that longstanding ties and Iran's supports to Azerbaijan over the past years have always been a source of encouragement for the country's government and nation. President Aliyev has always considered borders of the two countries as borders of peace and friendship. Azerbaijan Republic has always respected all countries' territorial integrity, he said, noting that Iran, as a great country and a friendly and brother neighbor has always enjoyed a high position among the people and government of Azerbaijan, and relations with it have been and are a strategic relationship for Azerbaijan.