TEHRAN, 12 February 2004 — Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ahad Qazai told journalists Tehran supports Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s recent call for the demilitarization of the Caspian Sea, Interfax reported on Tuesday.
He said the arms buildup in the region did not benefit any of the littoral states, and that demilitarization would not only improve the ecological situation, but also encourage trade and economic ties, including the north-south transport corridor linking Russia with Iran. Kazakhstan is in the process of building up its naval base on the Caspian.
Qazai also denied that there is any formal obstacle to the long-delayed opening of an Azerbaijani consulate in Tabriz.
Ambassador Qazai told another press conference on Tuesday that Iran and Azerbaijan will begin discussions on drafting a bilateral agreement on military cooperation, Baku’s Trend News Agency reported.
