(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) 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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