Speaking to the media at Azerbaijan Embassy in Tehran, he said that the friendly and brotherly ties between Iran and Azerbaijan can hardly be tolerated by some parties, IRNA reports.

Turning to the historical, cultural and religious commonalties between the two nations, he reiterated the need to expand relations in various fields.

Hassanov pointed to his efforts to celebrate Azerbaijan's Cultural Week in Iran, and said that given the common background of the Iranians and Azeris, even if such cultural events are held across Iran daily, it will be insufficient.

"Meanwhile, economic cooperation between the two states is to the interest of both sides and the officials in charge have reached favorable agreements in this respect," he added.

Turning to the inaugural ceremony of the swap project to deliver Azeri natural gas to Iran in return for Iranian natural gas supplied to Nakhichevan on December 20, 2005, which was attended by the presidents of both countries, he said that energy talks between Iranian and Azeri delegations will start in the near future.

He referred to Iran as the best route for transferring Azerbaijan's gas to Europe and said that energy collaboration between the two sides will help broaden economic exchanges.

"In case the North-South Corridor is established, 30 million tons of goods can be transported across it annually," he concluded.