President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the first deputy foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohsun Eminzadeh and his entourage.

Greeting the guests, head of the Azerbaijani state said:

“Dear guests, I cordially welcome you. You are welcome to Azerbaijan.

First, I express my condolence to all the Iranian people, native and close of the killed in connection with the terrible earthquake in the province Kirman, the city of Bam. Let Allah rest their souls in peace. This terrible act of nature has grieved and has shaken all of us. At the same time, it has shown, as far as our peoples each other is close. Azerbaijan has offered the help, and our experts have gone there. All of us were once again convinced that in difficult days, we help each other and we support each other.

As a whole, the relations between our countries successfully develop. In particular, after official visit of the national leader of Azerbaijan President Heydar Aliyev to Iran in May 2002, these relations have reached a new level. We should try to achieve even greater development of these ties, expansion of friendly relations between Iran and Azerbaijan. We very successfully cooperate in political, economic, cultural spheres.

We constantly feel support of Iran in the heaviest problem for Azerbaijan and all region – the Armenian–Azerbaijani Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The fair position of Azerbaijan gets support of Iran in the international organizations, for what I once again want to express gratitude to you, the leadership of Iran, all Iranian people.

Legality should be restored. The occupied Azerbaijani lands should be released, and one million refugees and IDPs return to the homelands. I hope, that structures directly engaged in the said question, the countries, including the countries of region, and will put henceforth the efforts in this direction, and the conflict will shortly find its resolution on the basis of international legal norms.

Our relations develop and in the field of economy. Azerbaijan also is going to accept active participation in the project of the North-South corridor, and as I know, the position of Iran in this question is positive. Between our countries, the power exchange that is favorable to both countries has been conducted. I know, that as a result of spent now, and also forthcoming work the volume of the given exchange will increase. Thus, the requirements as Iran and Azerbaijan will be provided even well.

Work is conducted and in the field of restoration, to be exact reconstruction of a motorway to the Baku-Astara. It is confident, that in the near future in this direction practical steps also will be undertaken. In a word, the political will can promote the positive decision of all problems facing to us, I am confident that so it will be. Our relations will successfully develop and henceforth.

Having expressed President Ilham Aliyev deep gratitude for the rendered reception, the first deputy foreign minister of Iran Mohsun Eminzadeh said:

“Dear Mr. President, I am deeply grateful to you for the stated ideas. I know about your intense schedule of work, you are engaged in the decision of various problems. Therefore, I thank you that you have found time and have accepted us.

Allow transferring, first, to you greetings of the President of Iran of Mr. Seyyed Mohammad Khatemi, who have charged to invite you to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The President of Iran has been going to make visit to Azerbaijan at a life of Mr. President Heydar Aliyev. To realize it was not possible. However, he is confident, that will carry out visit to Azerbaijan in a convenient time. We hope that in New Year we become witnesses of your visit to Iran, and visit of the President of Iran to Azerbaijan. Relations between the two countries call us for realization of these visits.

I express to you and Azerbaijani people the condolence on demise of the national leader of Azerbaijan Mr. Heydar Aliyev.

It is my third visit to Azerbaijan. For the first time, I came here about one year ago. With the feeling of boundless pride I can tell, that one year ago I met dear Heydar Aliyev. About one hour he very warmly talked to me and told: “I try to do the utmost for the further expansion of relations, cooperation between our countries. He very much tried to achieve expansion of these relations. I remember, he told: we have not enough time, and for short time, we should solve all questions.

We feel it and we consider the debt to go on the way specified by him and carry out problems we face. Last years of President Heydar Aliyev are years of the greatest development of the Iranian-Azerbaijani Relations, and we should execute his precepts in the name of development, deepening of our relations. His instructions are complex enough from the point of view of their performance, and personally I am proud of that has undertaken to make it.

I congratulate Your Excellency on the occasion of election as the President and I hope, that you will adequately cope with the tasks put by your father. I believe that under your management the relations between the two countries will acquire even greater development, become even wider. During the meeting with your father, I have promised him that I shall make all efforts for expansion of relations between our countries. Today I allow a word and to you, I declare, that I shall make utmost for this purpose. This is not only my decision and our ambassador thinks the same, too.

I express to You gratitude for attention and assistance rendered in connection with the tragic earthquake, I thank to Azerbaijani people, the Azerbaijani state. I am deeply grateful to you for visiting the embassy of Iran to Baku and the attention rendered there. As you have noted, all this testifies to depth, durability of relations between our two countries. I thank you for all this.

As to economic projects, we with a great hope try to expand them. In connection with reconstruction of the road Baku- Astara, Iran has allocated a credit at amount of 40 million dollars. Yesterday we spoke in this connection with the minister of economic development Mr. Farhad Aliyev, have considered ways of acceleration of this work. As to the question of supply of Nakhchivan with gas, we have agreed that by an exchange we shall deliver gas on one side and to receive - on other side. We try to expand our links in other branches marked and not marked by me, and I shall make every effort for performance of this work at your attention and under your control.

Having thanked the visitor for kind words, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said:

“Thank you very much, these are really very important projects, and important deals. Further, we together carry out all this. Including negotiations about delivery of gas in Nakhchivan, have taken place, they are, it is possible to tell, at last stage. Thus, by an exchange we can provide Nakhchivan with gas, and on the other hand, - to deliver gas to Iran. That is such projects can be more. We very much want that our cooperation developed in all spheres.

Last month I have met at the international forum esteemed Mr. President Khatemi. We had short, but very warm conversation and have agreed that in the near future I shall make visit to Iran, and mister Khatemi - to Azerbaijan. Therefore, once again I ask you to transfer to Mr. President my gratitude for this invitation. It is confident, that in the near future these visits will take place, and due to them our countries become even closer each other.

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Attending was at the reception head of the foreign relations department of President Administration Novruz Mammadov and ambassador of Iran to Azerbaijan Ahad Gazai.