Iran Asks Azerbaijan For Explanation On ‘Strategic Partnership’ With Israel
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran demanded an explanation from the Republic of Azerbaijan for its foreign minister’s comments about a “new stage in strategic partnership” with the Israeli government as Baku opened an embassy in Tel Aviv.
In a statement released on Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani denounced the comments made by Israel’s foreign minister about his agreement with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Republic Jeyhun Bayramov to form a “united front against Iran” as another testimony to the Israeli regime’s sinister intention to turn the Azeri soil into a platform for posing threats to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s national security.
Kanaani strongly condemned the Israeli minister’s remarks.
In comments at a meeting with Bayramov in Jerusalem (al-Quds) on Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen hailed the opening of the Azeri embassy in Tel Aviv as an evidence of “the strengthening of relations” between the two sides.
Cohen also claimed that he and the Azeri foreign minister have agreed “to form a united front against Iran and to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, security, energy and innovation.”
In the Friday’s statement, Kanaani described the Israeli comments about the formation of a united front against Iran as well as the comments made by Bayramov about his talks in Israel and “a new stage in strategic partnership” between Baku and Tel Aviv as an implicit affirmation of their anti-Iranian cooperation. The Iranian spokesman demanded an explanation from the Republic of Azerbaijan’s officials.
In a post on his Twitter account on March 29, Bayramov said he was delighted to be received by Israel’s prime minister during his official visit to Israel.
The Azeri foreign minister also hailed the opening of his country’s embassy in Tel Aviv as “a new stage in strategic partnership” with Israel.
Elsewhere in his statement, Kanaani highlighted the inseparable historical and religious bonds between the people of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, adding, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has always tried to foil the attempts made by the ill-wishers at creating rift between the two neighboring countries.”
The spokesman also warned the Republic of Azerbaijan’s government to avoid the trap set by the enemies of the relations with Iran.
He finally underlined that Iran naturally cannot remain indifferent to Israel’s plots against the Islamic Republic hatched from the Republic of Azerbaijan.
