BAKU: Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires on Wednesday, issuing a strong protest over perceived insults against the nation and its president, Ilham Aliyev. The diplomatic action follows an event in Ardabil, Iran, where remarks deemed offensive were made and subsequently broadcast on Iranian television.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry called in Seyed Jafar Aghaei, Iran’s charge d’affaires, to express discontent over the event attended by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative in the Ardabil province. The ministry’s statement underscored Azerbaijan’s concern about what it described as the incitement of anti-Azerbaijani sentiment among the Iranian populace.
The Azerbaijani government argued that such anti-Azerbaijani propaganda runs contrary to the goals and spirit of bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries. The ministry emphasized that these actions could foster animosity rather than enhance interstate and people-to-people connections.
The statement concluded with a demand for Iran to cease such provocations, asserting that these actions threaten the stability and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran. The Azerbaijani side made it clear that the continuation of such rhetoric could have repercussions on the diplomatic ties between the two nations.