The two neighboring countries Iran and Azerbaijan have taken a number of concrete steps to mend their ties and resolve their diplomatic crisis through dialogue after ties soured over allegations that Israel’s military was active in Azerbaijan.
Relations hit a blow last year after Iran protested over the alleged presence of its arch-enemy Israel in Azerbaijan and vowed to take any necessary actions. Officials in Baku denied Iranian claims and ruled out the presence of any Israeli on its soil.
Israel has been considered as a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan and such support led the country to win a six-week war with its neighbor Armenia for control over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. At the same time, Azerbaijan was not happy over Tehran’s backing of Armenians in the decades-long Karabakh conflict. The two states have long been at loggerheads and accused each other of making relations with their enemies.
The relations witnessed further deterioration when Azerbaijan decided to impose customs duty on Iranian truck drivers transiting to Armenia through that territory. In the intervening time, Iranian army held massive military exercises near its border with Azerbaijan, where Baku considered the drills illegal for being held so close to its country’s borders.
There are many factors affecting Tehran-Baku relations – from Israel and US to the Armenian community inside Iran also wary of separatist sentiments among ethnic Azerbaijan’s, who make up around 10 million of Iran’s 83 million populations.
Both the neighbors had been locked into blame games. Though such allegations spree and rhetoric had harmed bilateral relations, politicians in Tehran and Baku had taken diplomatic paths to resolve differences through dialogue. Their relations are taking a fast truck and improving on all fronts.
The diplomatic visits work
Top officials of the two countries have started visiting Baku and Tehran and also signed several bilateral agreements, giving special importance to deepening and expanding of relationships. Apparently Iran has begun a new phase of bilateral relations in return Azerbaijan assured not to allow any country to use its territories to act against Iran.
The recent visits of Iran’s secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani to Azerbaijan and the country’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to Iran have painted a pleasant picture on the strengthening of relations between the two states.
One of the mega projects is the signing of Memorandum of Understanding aimed at doubling the volume of gas transportation from Turkmenistan to Armenia via Iranian lines. The two sides engaged in bilateral cooperation in areas of energy, oil, gas, transportation, and bilateral trade. The number of passengers traveling to Baku and Tehran through the land borders and commercial flights has also increased.
The relations between government-to-government and people-to-people have now reportedly increased to a significant level. The warmer ties have further tinted when the Azerbaijan people asked for broadcasting of the second season of the Iranian Gando TV series via the Sahar Azari network following the conclusion of the first season. The daily soap was being broadcasting in Azeri language and was welcomed by Azeri language speakers in the Azerbaijani society.
