BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 20. The US has no right to interfere in the relations between Iran and Azerbaijan, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nasser Kanaani said, Trend reports.
He made the remark while responding to the US official's statement regarding Iran's participation in the creation of the corridor in the Caucasus at a press briefing in Tehran on November 20.
The spokesman noted that US officials talk big about themselves and interfere in matters that have nothing to do with the US.
"The US should stop interfering in the internal affairs of regional countries. Iran's friendly relations with neighboring countries continue," he added.
The US Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien’s statements at the hearings of the European subcommittee of the House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee have sparked a strong reaction from Azerbaijan and Iran, who are pursuing a strategic transit route project through their territories.
The project, which aims to connect Azerbaijan’s mainland with its exclave of Nakhchivan via Iran, is seen as a vital link for the regional integration and economic development of both countries. The project also involves the construction of a bridge over the Aras River, a freeway, a railway, and high voltage power lines.
However, O’Brien claimed that it would undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia, which borders both Azerbaijan and Iran. He also accused Azerbaijan and Iran of violating the human rights of the ethnic Armenian population in the region, and of posing a threat to the stability and security of the South Caucasus.
Azerbaijan and Iran have rejected O’Brien’s allegations as baseless and interference in their internal affairs. They have reaffirmed their commitment to the project, which they regard as a manifestation of their good neighborly relations and mutual interests. They have also stressed that the project does not violate any international law or agreement, and that it respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region.
Furthermore, they have called on the US to respect their sovereign choices and to refrain from making unfounded and provocative statements that could harm the regional peace and cooperation.
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