ANKARA

The Azerbaijani president's remarks concerning Tehran are "surprising," the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

In an interview with Anadolu Agency on Monday, Ilham Aliyev criticized the "illegal entrance and presence" of Iranian trailer trucks into the recently liberated Karabakh region.

Noting that Iran continues such "illegal" actions despite warnings, Aliyev described the situation as "a disrespect" to the Azerbaijani government.

In response, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said "Aliyev’s remarks are surprising because they come at a time when Tehran and Baku have good relations based on mutual respect and there are normal channels through which the two sides can talk at the highest level."

Khatibzadeh said Tehran opposes any kind of occupation, and respects the territorial integrity of other countries. "... neighborliness is a key matter and all neighbors are expected to observe it," he added.