TEHRAN – The Caspian Sea has always been the sea of peace and friendship and should not turn into a region for military competition, the Iranian defense minister says.

Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan made the remarks in a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Monday.

Dehqan added that outstanding issues with regards to the regime of the Caspian Sea can be perfectly resolved through “negotiations” by littoral states.

The Iranian defense minister also referred to the numerous religious and historical affinities between Iran and Azerbaijan and called for “strong political will to develop ties”.

He said Iran and Azerbaijan share many geopolitical interests, adding that the two states’ common threats and interests further increase the necessity of their bilateral cooperation.

President Aliyev expressed gratitude with Dehqan’s visit to Baku and called for enhanced defense ties between the two nations.

“We regard the stability, security, and progress of Iran as the security and progress of Azerbaijan. Thus, we have always defended the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities and believe that nothing can affect Azerbaijan’s stance in the regard,” Aliyev said.

-------- ‘Saudi assault on Yemen complicates Mideast crisis’

Dehqan also touched upon the Saudi-led aggression on Yemen, saying the Saudi airstrikes targeting Yemen’s infrastructure, civilians, and revolutionaries would further complicate the crises in the Middle East region.

He asserted that the Saudis’ attack on Yemen has been coordinated by the United States and Israel, calling for collective support of all Muslim nations to bring the conflict to an end and dispatch humanitarian aid to the people affected.

MD/P