BAKU The Azeri Head of Iran-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Friendship Group Sultan Mohammadov termed Iran a close friend of Azerbaijan. Mohammadov told the Baku-based newspaper Azerbaijan on Monday that unfortunately some opposition groups have recently been trying to sow discord between the two neighboring and brotherly nations. He referred to the visit to Tehran of Azeri Parliament speaker as a prominent instance of friendship and sincerity between the two countries.

Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Murtuz Aleskerov wound up a week-long visit to Tehran on Monday saying the trip indicates that Baku considers Iran as a great and important country of the region. Aleskerov held talks with a number of senior Iranian officials including President Mohammad Khatami and Majlis Speaker Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri and visited Tabriz, East Azarbaijan Province, and Mashhad, Khorasan Province. On Tehran-Yerevan cooperation, Mohammadov said that there are companies in Iran which cooperate with Armenia and this cooperation does not pose any danger to Azerbaijan Republic.