In a telephone conversation with foreign policy advisor to the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan Hikmat Hajiyev on Sunday, Vaezi said Iran’s formal stance on the conflicts and disputes is “supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty” of the nations.

“Tensions in the region would certainly not be in the interest of any country, and we favor stability, development, and progress for all countries, particularly the Republic of Azerbaijan,” he added.

The Iranian president’s chief of staff further stressed the need for the settlement of Karabakh dispute through peaceful solutions and dialogue.

“As a friendly country and neighbor, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always stood by the Republic of Azerbaijan’s government and nation and attaches significance to the promotion of ties with that country,” Vaezi added.

For his part, Hajiyev commended Iran for its clear stances on international conflicts and its respect for the sovereignty of nations, saying, “Iran, as a very important and influential country in the region, has a major role in the settlement of regional problems and disputes.”

He also highlighted Baku’s willingness to boost relations with Tehran in various fields, particularly the economic ties.

Azerbaijan and Armenia, two former Soviet republics, have for decades been locked in a simmering conflict over Karabakh – an Azerbaijani territory seized by Armenian separatists in a bloody war in the 1990s.

Some 30,000 people were killed in the conflict, which ended with a fragile truce in 1994. The two sides are still technically at war and have yet to reach a permanent peace agreement on the issue.