Azerbaijan`s foreign ministry spokesman has reaffirmed that the country puts a special emphasis on its relationship with neighboring states.
Elman Abdullayev`s statement came in response to a protest held in front of Azerbaijan`s Consulate in Tabriz.
He said Azerbaijan took into consideration the interests of neighboring countries, including Iran, in its foreign policy.
Abdullayev underlined that Azerbaijan and Iran relations have had deep roots.
The spokesman stressed threats, sabotages against democratic, secular Azerbaijan are ‘unacceptable'. "The forces who speak of Islamic solidarity, religious fanaticism will not be able to undermines our country`s increasing prestige with their lies and slanders."
Abdullayev underlined that the protests held in front of Azerbaijan's diplomatic representations in Iran had been organized by the groups who try to derail the relations between the two countries. "The Azerbaijani side expresses deep concern over the increasing number of protests, and states that it is impossible to impact on Azerbaijan or achieve changes in the country`s political course through this."
"The most important problem for Azerbaijan is the continuing occupation of its territories by Armenia. The Muslim world and several international organizations recognized Armenia as an aggressor, and condemned the Khojaly genocide committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis. Unfortunately, our neighbor has not expressed its attitude towards these events".
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "Staging anti-Azerbaijani protests in Tabriz to make groundless claims against our country and make radical calls despite the fact that the Azerbaijani side has repeatedly reiterated that its territory can never be used for any aggression against Iran is nothing but hostility and craftiness. The activity of some forces in Iran who speak of Islamic solidarity, brotherhood is aimed at shattering stability in Azerbaijan."
"What Islamic solidarity are they talking about if over a million of their religious brothers have been left homeless for more than 20 years by the aggressor Armenia, which Iran has been continuously supporting both materially and morally, if hundreds of Islamic temples were destroyed and robed by the Armenian vandals?"
Abdulalyev added: "All this proves that what is going on in Iran against Azerbaijan is not a religious sympathy, instead, this campaign serves only to hostility, incitement and disrespect towards our national and cultural values."

AzerTAc