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Ali Ahmadov: Iran has recently made attempts to interfere in Azerbaijanâ€™s home affairs â€“ UPDATED

Ali Ahmadov: Iran has recently made attempts to interfere in Azerbaijanâ€™s home affairs â€“ <font color=red>UPDATED </font>

10 February 2011 10:09 (UTC +04:00)

Ali Ahmadov said he had negative attitude towards it.
â€œAzerbaijan has never intended to interfere in the home affairs of our neighbor Iran, is not taking such steps at present, will not do it in future. We expect similar attitude from the neighboring states, including Iran. But I regret to say that attempts to interfere in Azerbaijanâ€™s home affairs are obviously seen in some mass media. Azerbaijani citizens â€“ both living in the country and abroad â€“ have approached it delicately and expressed their opinion. They picketed outside Iranâ€™s embassy in Baku. I consider these pickets normal. I think that they must be admitted as protest messages of the Azerbaijani citizens to the relevant bodies of Iran, such actions must be ended,â€ he said.

Ali Ahmadov said that Iran and Azerbaijan are not only neighbors, but they are also tied with a number of other factors.
â€œA lot of ethnic Azerbaijanis are living in Iran. Of course, all this determines the character, essence of our relations. I think that any disrespect for Azerbaijan by Iran, attempts to interfere in the home affairs of our country, denigration of Azerbaijan in Iranian mass media are disrespect for Azerbaijani state and a lot of Azerbaijanis living in Iran. If Iranian mass media had respected their Azerbaijani citizens, they would not have expressed such an attitude towards the Azerbaijani state. The fact that a lot of Azerbaijanis are living in Iran should be noted as a special moment in Iran-Azerbaijan relations. I can make an example. Maybe some will not admit this example properly. But the reality is that the respect of the French government and the relevant bodies for the Armenians living there played a role in the formation of the good attitude of France towards Armenia. Iranian government, relevant bodies, mass media should at least follow this example and respect the Azerbaijani state out of regard for their Azerbaijani citizens. I wish at least relevant bodies and mass media of Iran to demonstrate this attitude. Azerbaijanis constitute half its population. The relevant bodies of Iran do not take right step by disrespecting half of the citizens,â€ he said.