TEHRAN Some Azeri officials have refused entry to dozens of Iranian buses at the Astara Customs Office of the Azerbaijan Republic. The buses had previously been purchased from Iran by the republic.

The former mayor of Baku and a representative in the country's Parliament Rafael Allah-Verdiyev blamed the Azeri Prime Minister Artur Rasizadeh and his deputy Haji Bala Abutalebev for the three-day stay of the buses in the border area of Astara.

The mayor said if the stalemate continues he will personally visit Astara Customs Office at the border to provide facilities for the transfer of the buses to Baku.

He said more than 2,000 jobs will be created in his country as a result of importing the Iranian buses. We should not let citizens of Baku be deprived of the jobs.

He said the buses would also help improve the transportation system of Baku and other cities.

According to the Iran-Azerbaijan agreement, approved by President Heidar Aliyev, 900 Benz buses were to be transferred to Azerbaijan from Iran.

It is not the first time that some pro-West Azeri officials have created obstacles in the way of the expansion of Tehran-Baku ties.

However, in line with U.S. policies to curb Iran's economic activities in the region, these Azeri officials, who believe the West and the U.S. can be their savior, have time and again made hostile moves against their neighboring country, Iran.

They should come to know that such measures are certainly neither in the national interests of Azerbaijan nor to the benefit of the region.

Meanwhile, following TEHRAN TIMES telephone contacts with the spokesman of the Foreign Ministry Hamid Reza Assefi, the official declined to comment on the issue.