Tasnim � Iranian President�s Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi called for a peaceful solution to the dispute in the Karabakh region after an escalation of tensions between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In a telephone conversation with foreign policy advisor to president of the Republic of Azerbaijan Hikmat Hajiyev on Sunday, Vaezi said Iran�s formal stance on the conflicts and disputes is �supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty� of the nations.

�Tensions in the region would certainly not be in the interest of any country, and we favor stability, development and progress for all countries, particularly the Republic of Azerbaijan,� he added.

The Iranian president's chief of staff further stressed the need for the settlement of disputes through peaceful solutions and dialogue.

�As a friendly country and neighbor, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always stood by the Republic of Azerbaijan�s government and nation and attaches significance to the promotion of ties with that country,� Vaezi added.

For his part, Hajiyev commended Iran for its clear stances on international conflicts and its respect for the sovereignty of nations, saying, �Iran, as a very important and influential country in the region, has a major role in the settlement of regional problems and disputes.�

He also highlighted Baku�s willingness to boost relations with Tehran in various fields, particularly the economic ties.

Azerbaijan and Armenia, two former Soviet republics, have for decades been locked in a simmering conflict over Karabakh � an Azerbaijani territory seized by Armenian separatists in a bloody war in the 1990s.

Some 30,000 people were killed in the conflict, which ended with a fragile truce in 1994. The two sides are still technically at war and have yet to reach a permanent peace agreement on the issue.