A group of Iranian parliamentarians has prepared a bill that gives Iran the right to insist on re-annexing Azerbaijani to Iran, Golos Rossii Radio reports.
The source reports that the bill that terminates Gulistan Treaty of 1913 and the Turkmenchay Treaty of 1928 between Persia and Russia is a political propaganda, first of all. It has no perspectives, but openly demonstrates the tension in the relations of Tehran and Baku. Historically, Azerbaijanis proved to be divided between two super powers on the basis of the above treaties. However, the political and public systems in their countries are also different. The views of the ruling elites in Tehran and Baku regarding the prior state and national interests do not coincide either. Over the years of Azerbaijan's independence, the neighbors have accumulated many claims to each other at the state level.
Director of the Russian Center for Public and Political Studies Vladimir Yevseev says Iran is dissatisfied with secularization and European lifestyle of its northern neighbors. Tehran is indignant at the close ties of Baku with Israel, USA and NATO. Baku, in turn, is concerned over active religious propaganda among Azerbaijani population by Iranian preachers. Baku is discontented at Tehran's support to Armenia in the Karabakh conflict. There are serious discrepancies also on the status of the Caspian Sea region and the hydrocarbon reserves.
These complicate relations prompt hotheads in Baku and Tehran raise provocative issue on unification of Azerbaijanis of the two countries under the flag of their country.
For the first time, one of the conflicting parties comes out for denunciation of the treaties of the 19th century that legitimize the existing borders and give the region certain stability. Some parliamentarians come out for a referendum in the territory of Azerbaijan on Armenia's annexing to Iran. Another parliamentarian Mansur Hakikatpur has already began forming a Movement of 17 cities of the Caucasus to restore Iran's control over Azerbaijan. The
parliamentarian thinks that to fulfill its goals, the Movement may need a local war.
Not all politicians in Iran share these views, however. Former parliamentarian Heshmatollah Falahatpishe believes that aggravation of tension between Iran and Azerbaijan is not in favor for either Tehran or Baku. Over the last decades disastrous changes have been observed in the world. Many ruling regimes have been overthrown. Treaties and agreements turn into pieces of paper, which sometimes results in deaths of dozens of thousand of people. The epicenters of such geopolitical shifts are in various parts in the world and in the given region.