Iran, Tehran, Sept.20 / Trend, E.Huseynov /
Iran has always supported Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Iranian Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Seyed Mohammad Reza Mir-Tajeddini said yesterday in Tehran.
"We have always supported Azerbaijan and condemned the occupation of Nagorno- Karabakh," he said at an Iranian-Azerbaijani conference dedicated to the country's past experiences and future prospects of cooperating with Azerbaijan.
Mir-Tajeddini called the South Caucasus - in particular, Azerbaijan - important both for Iran and for the entire world. According to the official, the South Caucasus occupies a significant geopolitical location that is rich in energy resources and has access to the sea.
Meanwhile, in terms of Iranian-Azerbaijani relations, Mir-Tajeddini added that Iran and Azerbaijan share a religious bond that has no analogues in the Muslim world, as the preponderant majority of both of the countries are Shiite Muslims.
Mir-Tajeddini called energy, cargo transportation, food industries, new technologies, the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, and environmental protection "important spheres" for cooperation. He also stressed that several problems remain in the relations between the neighboring countries, such as the delineation of the Caspian Sea, several energy policy issues, and a number of military contracts signed between the countries.
Mir-Tajeddini also noted that lifting the visa regime between the countries is important for their further unification. Iran has already lifted the visa regime with Azerbaijan, which is the first such step in developing bilateral relations, he said.
The one-day conference held at Tehran University was organized by the Institute of Caucasus Studies (Iran) and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Iran.
