<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Following the invitation from the Chairman of the Center of Analysis of International Relations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, Mr. Saeed Khatibzadeh, Head of the Center for Political and International Studies of our country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with his accompanying delegation, participated in a joint roundtable of the two countries' research centers.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">This roundtable was held with the participation of speakers from both centers, as well as a group of prominent figures from the Republic of Azerbaijan, including members of parliament and academics. The main topics discussed in this meeting included bilateral relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the role of the South Caucasus in the geopolitics and geoeconomics of Eurasia, current developments in the South Caucasus region, and the influence of major actors on the political and security orientations of the region.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">In this roundtable, the Head of the Center for Political and International Studies, referring to the increasing importance of relations between the two countries, especially after the recent visit of His Excellency Dr. Pezeshkian, the esteemed President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, emphasized the necessity of reviewing some fundamental concepts governing these relations and providing a precise definition of them. This, he stated, would help reform theoretical perceptions and remove practical obstacles in the relations between the two countries. He also pointed to the necessity of a correct understanding of the interference of certain external factors, such as the Zionist regime, in the developments in the South Caucasus, and assessed the role of this regime as destructive, tension-creating, and a factor of division in the region, particularly in the relations between the two governments and nations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. At the end of this meeting, the heads of the two centers confirmed and agreed on the continuation of cooperation and the holding of joint expert meetings. It was also announced that the signing of a cooperation document between the respective research and studies institutions will provide the necessary legal framework for expanding the scientific and research cooperation between the two centers.</p>