Iran, Azerbaijan can build on commonalities to cement ties
By Bahram Amir-Ahmadian
Central Asia, Caucasus affairs expert
President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Azerbaijan is a major milestone in his government’s regional diplomacy. The visit, due to take place today, is particularly important as relations between Iran and Azerbaijan had soured for some time due to misunderstandings or certain forces on both sides. However, Pezeshkian places a great deal of importance on this trip to Iran’s northern neighbor.
One issue that has lingered is the incident in which an armed man entered the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran in 2023, which nearly led to a severance of diplomatic ties. Azerbaijan closed its diplomatic mission, and it took some time for the situation to settle down. Baku has expressed the desire for the matter to be addressed. Iran’s Judiciary has also confirmed that it is following up on the case, stating that investigations are still ongoing and that those responsible will be prosecuted, meaning that the judicial process is progressing and has not been forgotten or swept under the rug.
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