Iran, Azerbaijan solve border crossing problems

Iranian and Azeri officials' efforts for solving the recent problems in their border crossing points were successful, and passenger and vehicle trafficking has now gone back to normal. Three days of intensive talks between Azerbaijan Republic officials with Iran’s Ambassador to Baku Mohsen Pakayeen yielded fruitful results and the problem of passenger and truck traffic in Bileh-Savar and Jolfa border crossing points was solved. According to an informed source in Iran’s embassy in Baku, the decision will be put into action from Saturday November 16, 2013. Last Saturday, The two key border crossings of Jolfa and Bileh-Savar between Iran and Azerbaijan were closed by the Iranian guards after Baku sealed a passage point without any justification. Mohammad Ayatollahi, the press secretary at the Iranian Embassy in Baku that Iranian border guards closed the border crossings in reaction to Azerbaijan’s closure of Poledasht-Shah Takhti border crossing and Baku's refusal to negotiate over the issue. Iran closed Jolfa and Bileh-Savar border crossings after issuing an advance notice to the Azeri side, noted the Iranian official. Ayatollahi said Azerbaijan sealed the border crossing in an “unconventional move” earlier this month after an unidentified assailant opened fire on a tractor in the border region without causing any casualties. He stated that the border closure has created serious problems for Iranian passengers and drivers. Ayatollahi said, under similar circumstances, border guards from both countries meet to resolve the case. “But, despite the request of Iranian border guards, the Azeri side has refused to negotiate and has moved to close Poledasht border crossing,” the Iranian official added. He pointed out that an Iranian border guard was killed by Azeri security forces in Bileh-Savar two years ago, but Iran did not close the border and pursued the issue through the relevant authorities.