On July 4, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who was on a visit to Iran, met with the President of Iran, Ibrahim Raisi, the Press Office of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported.

According to the statement, President Raisi said that the relations between Iran and Azerbaijan have deep roots and that the cultural and historical ties between the two countries are based on the people's will. Emphasizing the need to increase trade turnover to ensure the development of relations, the Iranian President noted that bilateral relations would contribute to regional cooperation.

Minister Bayramov spoke about the joint projects between the two countries in energy, transport, and communication. According to the report, Jeyhun Bayramov emphasized the importance of creating new communication links between the Zangilan region and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, including the implementation of joint projects in the liberated territories.

At the same time, the President of Iran, Ibrahim Raisi, called on the states of the region to resolve regional issues without foreign interference. President Raisi stressed the need for new openings in Tehran-Baku relations while talking about the increase in diplomatic consultations between the two states and its impact on the expansion of relations and cooperation in various fields of trade, economy, and politics. Noting that there are no limits to deepening and strengthening ties with Azerbaijan, the Iranian President added that strengthening bilateral relations can lead to effective regional cooperation. Iranian President expressed his hope that the visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Tehran would lead to a breakthrough in the relations between the two countries.

Sadraddin Soltan, a former employee of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Iran and head of the Middle East Research Center, said that the main topic of the negotiations is the economic and political problems between the two countries. "Iran's hunting of Israel in Turkey, holding actions against the Republic of Azerbaijan in Azerbaijan and Iran, Iran-Armenia relations, Iran's position on the Zangezur Corridor, the issue of the road from Iran to Nakhchivan, prospective export of Iranian natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe, export of natural gas from Turkmenistan to Iran through Azerbaijan, as well as economic, political, social and cultural issues of interest to both sides may have been discussed. I believe that this visit can be beneficial for both sides. It is beneficial for both parties to solve the existing problems through direct negotiations rather than holding protests and campaigning against each other. Unfortunately, the Iranian side chose a double standard in its behavior towards Azerbaijan during the past period. On the surface, Iran calls Azerbaijan a brother-friend. However, from the inside, the country is engaged in activities against both Azerbaijan and Turkey. It encourages riots," the expert noted. 

He believes that the parties may have discussed the issue of natural gas export to Ukraine through Azerbaijan. "Azerbaijan may mediate in some form in solving the problems between Ukraine and Iran, or there may be assistance for transferring Iranian goods through Azerbaijan to Ukraine. In any case, taking into account the good-faith relationship between Azerbaijan and Ukraine, Azerbaijan could be a useful helper and mediator for Iran in its relations with Ukraine," Soltan concluded.

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