Azerbaijan is important to Iran, minister says

Iran's Communications and Information Technology Minister Mahmoud Vaezi said his country attaches special importance to ties with  Azerbaijan.

Vaezi said this during a meeting with Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov last week, Iran''s Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

"Azeri President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Tehran last year is a major step towards promoting bilateral relationship between the two countries," he said.

Mammadyarov underscored the importance of expanding ties which would help establish regional peace and development.

Armenia's military operation against Azerbaijan was a source of real threat for the region, he said.

Vaezi said Iran supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and called for the return of people displaced by war.