Presidents of Iran and Azerbaijan Ebrahim Raisi and Ilham Aliyev today held their first meeting on the sidelines of the Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Ashgabat.

According to Azerbaijani presses, during the meeting, Aliyev assured that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to its relations with Iran.

In his turn, Raisi stated that the Prime Ministers and foreign ministers of both countries have already held successful talks. “I’m certain that such meetings, contacts and discussions will contribute to the development of the relations between the two countries. The issues that emerge in our relations can be resolved through such contacts and visits. Our relations with Azerbaijan are not only relations of neighbors, but also relations of our hearts,” the Iranian president stated, adding that he will never let others interfere in those relations and that both Iran and Azerbaijan need to resolve their issues, enhance relations and work together to deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation.

Raisi stated that, in regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Tehran has had an open and unequivocal position. “Everyone, starting from the Supreme Leader and ending with officials of state structures, had a common stance, that is, the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be protected,” Raisi said, Azerbaijani presses cited.

The presses added that during the meeting, the leaders of both countries discussed the North-South transport corridor, as well as cooperation within the scope of the so-called “Zangezur corridor”. “It was stated that the creation of the Zangezur corridor is beneficial for Iran,” the presses stated.

The two countries’ leaders also discussed the creation of the Azerbaijan-Russia-Iran energy corridor and exchanged views on cooperation within the framework of international organizations and trade-economic relations.

The Iranian side has yet to provide details of the meeting. Only photos of the talks are posted on the website of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.