On Tuesday night, Amir-Abodollahian left Tehran for Baku to participate in a ministerial Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meeting in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The meeting also presented Iran with an opportunity to advance its active foreign policy and cement the neighborliness policy pursued by the Raisi administration. Amir-Abdollahian referred to the multilateral and bilateral opportunities associated with the current NAM meeting. 
“I traveled to Azerbaijan to join a foreign ministerial summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Due to the diversity of member countries, NAM has a special capacity to strengthen multilateralism and common thinking to solve new global challenges. In addition, the trip will be an opportunity to pursue and develop the neighborliness policy in the region,” the foreign minister said on Twitter. 
In Baku, the Iranian foreign minister met several foreign officials and leaders, including Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. This meeting comes against a backdrop of strained relations between Tehran and Baku. Thus, it presents an apposite opportunity for both sides to exchange views on several bilateral issues. 
Over the last few months, Iran has been working to reduce tensions with the Republic of Azerbaijan, but the South Caucasus nations have shown little interest in genuinely opening a new chapter with Iran. 
Since the January attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, Baku has leveled countless accusations against Iran without paying heed to Iran’s calls for de-escalation. Nevertheless, Iran continued to try to improve relations with Azerbaijan, and the Iranian foreign minister eagerly participated in the NAM meeting as a platform to boost Iran’s ties with the non-aligned countries and its relations with Baku. 
To this end, the Iranian foreign minister met with President Aliyev. Nour News, a website linked to the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, described this meeting as important. “The presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran at the Non-Aligned meeting provided an opportunity for him to meet and talk with the President of Azerbaijan. The will of the two countries is based on resolving misunderstandings and deepening brotherhood. Fonds of the two countries consider this trip an important milestone for opening a new chapter in bilateral relations,” Nour News said on Twitter. 
In this meeting, Amir-Abadollahian exchanged views with Aliyev on expanding bilateral relations and regional issues, according to the Iranian foreign ministry.
The Iranian foreign minister underlined the will of the two countries to improve bilateral relations. “With the positive atmosphere being formed in the relations between the two countries and especially overcoming some misunderstandings, the Islamic Republic of Iran declares its readiness to follow up and fulfill all previous agreements,” he said. 
Amir-Abdollahian pointed out that Tehran believes that the two brotherly and neighboring countries have well demonstrated their will and ability to overcome the difficult stages and conditions that have arisen. He noted that the two countries have realistically placed the pursuit of common goals within the framework of mutual interests on the agenda of their relations, relying on the vast capacities available in the field of cooperation.
Amir-Abdollahian also welcomed the activities of the diplomats of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Iran and paid attention to the position of this country in the region and within the framework of the neighborhood policy.
Underlining Iran’s readiness for cooperation in various areas of cooperation, Amir-Abdollahian also addressed Iran’s principled view regarding the necessity of establishing peace, stability, and security in the region.
Aliyev, for his part, expressed satisfaction with the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran in Baku and pointed out the importance of the relations between the two neighboring and Muslim countries. He emphasized the importance of mutual relations, especially in economic sectors, including transportation and routes.
Aliyev also said that Azerbaijan will never allow a threat to the region and the Islamic Republic of Iran from its soil. He emphasized that the Republic of Azerbaijan seeks to remove the blockage of transportation corridors in the region and adheres to the existence of historical routes of Iran in the region.
In this meeting, the two sides talked about how to activate the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran, referring to the completion of the investigation process of the case of the attack on the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran.
The attack in question took place earlier this year when a gunman stormed the Azerbaijani embassy, killing a security guard and injuring others. Iran said the attack was not an act of terrorism as the assailant was looking for his missing wife. He thought that the embassy was involved in assisting his wife with escaping Iran.
By: Faramarz Kuhpayeh
First published in Tehran Times