Iranian President warned the Republic of Azerbaijan about the sad consequences of creating a foothold of foreign states in the region, Tasnim reports.

At a meeting with Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev in Tehran, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian reiterated Iran's respect for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.

Iran maintains that the sovereignty of no state should be ignored, Pezeshkian said, warning, however, that it would not be in the interest of regional countries to establish a foreign bridgehead in the region.

“We believe that we can ensure security and solve our problems through cooperation. This is the principled policy of the administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which we have always emphasized,” Pezeshkian added.

He called for facilitating trade interactions between Islamic countries, saying there is no need to build walls along borders to enhance security, establish tranquility or develop relations between states.

Pezeshkian also welcomed initiatives to expand railroad and land routes between Iran and Azerbaijan, saying Tehran seeks to develop cooperation with Baku in various fields such as the energy sector and agriculture.