Pres. Rouhani: Regional peace, security, end of military conflicts very important

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA):  Stating that we are following the recent developments in the region caused by the conflict between the two neighbouring countries of Azerbaijan and Armenia with sensitivity and concern, President Rouhani said, "Regional peace is very important and of course, the territorial integrity of our neighbours is of great importance for us".

Speaking on Tuesday in a phone call with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Dr Hassan Rouhani called Azerbaijan a good neighbour of Iran and added, "All Iranians have very close historical, cultural and religious interests with the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the two friendly and brotherly nations and governments have always had very close relations, and the officials of the Islamic Republic have taken very clear and explicit positions on the recent conflict".

Expressing concern over the possible interference of other countries in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia and turning this conflict into a regional war, Dr Rouhani stressed, "Security, stability and peace in the region, especially the northern borders, are very important to us, and this conflict and continuing border insecurity must not pave the way for the influence of some terrorist groups".

The President also expressed concern over the border conflict between the two countries leading to urban warfare, saying, "I hope this war and conflict does not lead to urban warfare, which also leads to the displacement of people and the killing of civilians, which is very painful and dangerous".

Referring to the need to end the conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan as soon as possible, Dr Rouhani added, "Iran is ready for any action to resolve the Baku-Yerevan dispute in accordance with international law and the recognised borders of the two countries".

The President also stressed the need to ensure the security of Iran's borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia and to protect the lives of residents of Iranian villages adjacent to these countries.

The President of Azerbaijan also expressed happiness over the telephone conversation with the President of Iran, saying, "I express my gratitude and appreciation for the constructive positions of the Iranian officials and the emphasis on maintaining territorial integrity and resolving the Karabakh conflict".

"We consider Iran's security as the security of Azerbaijan and we will not allow this conflict to cause insecurity in neighbouring countries," said Ilham Aliyev, emphasising Iranian president's concern about the security of Iran's borders and the possibility of terrorist groups infiltrating the region if the region becomes insecure.

The President of Azerbaijan called the relations with Iran strategic for his country and added, "Bilateral relations have always been expanding in recent years and Baku welcomes the development of these relations".

Ilham Aliyev called the fight against terrorism in the region one of the areas of Tehran-Baku cooperation and added, "Maintaining peace and stability in the region is essential and we must all work to achieve it".

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