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Azerbaijan and Iran: Quakes Widening Rift?- Eurasianet
tert.am
14:14 - 16.08.12
The recent earthquakes in Iran are creating a fresh diplomatic
challenge for Azerbaijani-Iranian relations, eurasianet.org.
`Some in Baku are complaining about the Iranian governmental response
to the disaster, which occurred in northwestern Iran, an area with a
large concentration of ethnic Azeris,' the article says.
Two quakes on August 11 left more than 300 dead. The epicenter was
about 37 miles southwest of Tabriz, Iran's fifth largest city and the
capital of the country's East Azerbaijan Province. Iranian authorities
initially seemed ambivalent about accepting foreign assistance, but
announced a more open stance on August 14.
"Azerbaijani-Iranian relations have been marked by rising tension in
recent months. But on August 12, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
sent condolences to his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The
next day, Azerbaijan dispatched a truck convoy carrying emergency aid
items, including tents and blankets," the article continues.
"Such gestures initially offered hope of a diplomatic thaw. But it's
becoming increasingly clear that Azerbaijan's patience with Tehran is
wearing thin. In the most obvious sign of displeasure, a crowd
gathered outside the Iranian Embassy in Baku to protest what they
asserted was the Ahmadinejad administration's lackluster response to
quake victims, who are mostly ethnic Azeris. So instead of helping to
bring the feuding nations together, it appears the quakes are fueling
bilateral rancor," Eurasianet concluded.
From: Baghdasarian
tert.am
14:14 - 16.08.12
The recent earthquakes in Iran are creating a fresh diplomatic
challenge for Azerbaijani-Iranian relations, eurasianet.org.
`Some in Baku are complaining about the Iranian governmental response
to the disaster, which occurred in northwestern Iran, an area with a
large concentration of ethnic Azeris,' the article says.
Two quakes on August 11 left more than 300 dead. The epicenter was
about 37 miles southwest of Tabriz, Iran's fifth largest city and the
capital of the country's East Azerbaijan Province. Iranian authorities
initially seemed ambivalent about accepting foreign assistance, but
announced a more open stance on August 14.
"Azerbaijani-Iranian relations have been marked by rising tension in
recent months. But on August 12, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
sent condolences to his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The
next day, Azerbaijan dispatched a truck convoy carrying emergency aid
items, including tents and blankets," the article continues.
"Such gestures initially offered hope of a diplomatic thaw. But it's
becoming increasingly clear that Azerbaijan's patience with Tehran is
wearing thin. In the most obvious sign of displeasure, a crowd
gathered outside the Iranian Embassy in Baku to protest what they
asserted was the Ahmadinejad administration's lackluster response to
quake victims, who are mostly ethnic Azeris. So instead of helping to
bring the feuding nations together, it appears the quakes are fueling
bilateral rancor," Eurasianet concluded.
From: Baghdasarian