“We think of Azerbaijan’s problems as our own. We share a common history and culture. Iran and Azerbaijan has a number of historical persons in common, which can be an influential factor in the two countries to cooperating and backing up each other,” Seyed Hassan Ameli, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in Ardabil Province, said in a statement to APA’s Tehran bureau.

He noted that Iran and Azerbaijan are one nation and two states.

“Iran and Azerbaijan share a common origin, which requires that bilateral ties develop even further. Thankfully, that’s what’s happening,” he said.

Speaking of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, Ameli noted that Russia is freely pressuring Azerbaijan and Armenia, taking the advantage of Karabakh being under occupation.

“Armenia is dependent on Russia because of Karabakh and Russia is benefiting from this situation. So are America and Israel. For the time being, the Nagorno-Karabakh problem is not a global one, but it is in the interests of major states,” Ameli said.

Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei’s representative also praised the Azerbaijani army’s battlefield success of April 2016.

“This made us all happy. The army should not have stopped. It should have advanced to liberate more territory. A time has come today where a country is not let to determine its fate. The US and Russia are eager to interfere in the self-determination of other countries, particularly small countries. The US is providing assistance to the so-called government in the Nagorno-Karabakh. The so-called regime is not recognized by the UN, but the US issues visas for them,” Ameli stressed.

Ameli has criticized the role of OSCE Minsk group in the Karabakh conflict and said that the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh will not be possible with the Minsk Group.

“The negotiation has been ongoing over the 20 years. Is it normal? Even if Azerbaijan and Armenia want to resolve the problem, it is not possible because Russia does not want to withdraw from here, just as America and Israel do not want ISIS to neither grow stronger nor be annihilated entirely. While ISIS is in the region, the US will govern Iraq, ISIS, as well as Syria. The Karabakh conflict is a good opportunity for Russia and America. The longer the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict lasts, the more difficult does it become to return this region to Azerbaijan,” Ameli noted.

Ameli also touched on the referendum held in Nagorno-Karabakh, saying it is another ugly plan by Armenia.

“Azerbaijan’s government and people must not agree with the holding of the referendum. Where on earth has there ever been a referendum for the territory of another country? It is like somebody calls for a referendum for Baku. It is unacceptable. Baku belongs to Azerbaijan. So does Karabakh,” Ameli emphasized.

He said Iran, as a neighbor country, has made lots of efforts for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, adding that supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei had called the people who died for Karabakh martyrs.

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