President Ilham Aliyev commented on the gratitude expressed to Azerbaijan by his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian.
Ilham Aliyev noted on his social media account: "The expression of gratitude by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, my brother President Masoud Pezeshkian, to the Azerbaijani people and state for the support shown is highly appreciated by our nation. Our friendly and brotherly peoples have supported each other for centuries and will continue to stand by each other in both good and difficult times."
It should be noted that on April 3, Pezeshkian emphasized in a post on his X social media account that he highly values the affection and support shown to Iran by the Azerbaijani government and people. On April 2, he also called Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
What do President Pezeshkian’s thank-you message and Ilham Aliyev’s response indicate in terms of diplomatic moves?
According to Medianews.az, Member of Parliament Hikmat Babayev spoke to Musavat.com on the subject:
"The friendly and brotherly Iranian people are going through a difficult phase in their history. Considering the current situation, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, remaining faithful to our people's historical traditions, sends humanitarian aid from the Azerbaijani state to our co-religionists and compatriots living in Iran, and this has already become a tradition. Therefore, the gratitude expressed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Azerbaijani President, of course, signifies how important these mutual relations are. Today, in response to Mr. Masoud Pezeshkian's expressions of gratitude, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has expressed his views."
Hikmat Babayev noted that the Azerbaijani President’s use of the term "my brother" for the Iranian President should be regarded as a remark worthy of being recorded in history:
"Because, throughout the history of Iran-Azerbaijan relations, there has not been a period when the term 'brother' fully expressed the content of the relationship. However, during Masoud Pezeshkian's presidency and in the context of the Azerbaijani President's attitude towards the friendly and brotherly Iran, today, based precisely on the current reality, the Azerbaijani President addresses the Iranian President as 'my brother.' I believe this phrase touches the hearts of millions of people living in Iran and Azerbaijan and moves their spirits. Finally, after years, we are truly addressing our real brother as 'brother' again at the presidential level. In my opinion, this once again shows that Azerbaijan is capable of standing by its brother in difficult and challenging times."
The deputy said this also signals that from now on, relations based on the content expressed by the word "brother" must be completely rebuilt in Azerbaijan–Iran relations:
"I think this is a strategic call for our future brotherly relations, which must be built upon the unity, equality, and shared culture that the Azerbaijani people have maintained for centuries."