TEHRAN, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday expressed his country's willingness to strengthen all-out relations with Azerbaijan.
He made the remarks during a meeting with Hikmat Hajiyev, assistant to the Azerbaijani president and head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, in the Iranian capital Tehran, according to a statement published on the website of Pezeshkian's office.
Pezeshkian said Iran was interested in expanding relations with Azerbaijan in the economic, political, cultural, defense, and security sectors, calling for the swift removal of the obstacles to bilateral cooperation in the trade and transportation sectors.
He said maintaining regional countries' territorial integrity was among the fundamental principles of Iran's foreign policy, stressing that changing regional borders was in no way acceptable to Iran.
He noted that certain foreign powers made it necessary for regional countries to strengthen unity and solidarity and avoid divisions.
The Iranian president emphasized that his country sought to promote relations and synergy among all Muslim states and help increase the Muslim world's power, adding, "We seek to expand relations with the neighboring and Muslim countries as we believe that the emergence of any difference or gap among Muslims will tempt the enemies to interfere and create division."
Hajiyev emphasized Azerbaijan's strong commitment to expanding relations and cooperation with Iran.
He added Azerbaijan sought to improve the level of its relations with Iran, "an objective for which the ground is currently prepared."
Hajiyev was in Iran for a two-day visit at the invitation of Mehdi Sanaei, senior political aide to the Iranian president and deputy for political affairs in the presidential office. ■
