Azerbaijan Warns Against Iran Sanctions
Aliyev (right) with Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad in Baku in May (ITAR-TASS)
October 27, 2006 -- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said today that potential sanctions on neighboring Iran because of Tehran's disputed nuclear program could have a negative impact on the region.
Aliyev told reporters in Baku that sanctions "can have a big impact on regional development in general."
Azerbaijan is a key regional ally for the United States and has also built close diplomatic and trade relations with Iran, with which it shares ethnic and cultural links.
(compiled from news agencies)