Iran-Azerbaijan relations cannot be influenced by foreign forces - Chairman

"The US will not be able to exert any influence on the opening of the transport route through Iran."

According to Azernews, Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the Board of the Centre for Analysis of International Relations, said this. The chairman also spoke about the normalisation of Iran-Azerbaijan relations.

"Relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are moving towards normalisation, and the project is expected to be completed against this background."

It should be noted that US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien said on November 15 at a hearing of the European subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that Azerbaijan's plan to create a transport link through Iran would meet with a sharp reaction and fail.

On November 16, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reacted to his statements and stated that the U.S. is attacking the transport security efforts of the countries in the region with its actions and statements:

"The U.S. side is well aware that, starting with Armenia's 2020 Tripartite Statement, the failure to fulfil its obligations has prompted Azerbaijan to decide to build alternative roads. It is Azerbaijan's sovereign right to agree on the procedure for laying lines of communication with neighbouring states, including the agreement with Iran on the route to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic".