Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stressed on Sunday that relations between Tehran and Baku will continue on the basis of mutual respect.
In a tweet, the Foreign Minister said a telephone call he held on Saturday with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov was “fruitful and constructive.”
Amir-Abdollahian’s comments came one day after he had praised the release of two Iranian drivers, who were detained on accusations of illegally entering Azerbaijan.
He described the move as a “constructive” measure that could pave the way for resolving misunderstandings between the two countries.
Since mid-September, tensions have soared between the two countries, which share a 700-kilometer border, particularly after Azerbaijan regained control over a 130-kilometer border strip with Iran, which was had been under Armenia’s control for about 30 years.
Iran has also expressed unease with Azerbaijan’s close ties and military cooperation with Israel.
Last week, the two countries said they agreed to resolve their disputes through dialogue.
Early this month, tension between them was made public when Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev openly criticized Iranian ground forces maneuvers near the border.
Tehran responded by stressing that it would not tolerate Israel’s presence or activity “next to its borders” and vowed to take any necessary action.
In mid-September, Azerbaijan imposed a high tax on Iranian commercial trucks, which drew criticism from Iranian merchants.
