BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The statements of the Spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nasser Kanaani, regarding the announcement of four employees of the Iranian Embassy in Azerbaijan persona non grata for activities not corresponding to diplomatic status and contradicting the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, are biased and emotional, Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Aykhan Hajizada said, commenting on the statements of Kanaani made on April 7, TurkicWorld reports.

In connection with the statement of the Iranian side that the measure taken by Azerbaijan to declare the above employees persona non grata "contradicts the principles of neighborhood", Hajizada noted that illegal activities on the territory of Azerbaijan are incompatible with good neighborly relations, and reciprocal steps were taken in under the Vienna Convention.

"Islamic solidarity excludes the use of religion for political purposes, interference in the internal affairs of Muslim neighbors, and at the same time does not imply support for the military occupation of the territories of another Muslim country," the spokesman further said.

According to him, Azerbaijan builds relations with its neighbors on the basis of the principle of reciprocity and has never been interested in breaking these relations.

"The adequate measures taken by Azerbaijan have always been a response to provocative and inflammatory steps," Hajizada added.

On April 6, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran Seyyed Abbas Mousavi was summoned to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Mousavi was notified that four employees of the Iranian Embassy were declared persona non grata by the Azerbaijani government.

The ambassador was also informed that these persons should leave the territory of Azerbaijan within 48 hours.