The sovereignty and inviolability of Azerbaijan's borders are reliably ensured as a result of the President's consistent and pragmatic foreign policy course, visionary strategic outlook, and principled position based on national interests.
According to Operative Information Center-OMM, Prime Minister Ali Asadov stated this while presenting the government's activity report for 2025 to the Milli Majlis (National Assembly).
"As is known, an incident involving the use of unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran took place last week in the territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. Against the backdrop of this unpleasant incident, Azerbaijani society and the international community were once again convinced that President Ilham Aliyev is a strong leader who protects his country's security and always stands behind his people," the Prime Minister said.
"I should also add that recent events unfolding in the region demonstrate how well-founded and necessary the decision to keep Azerbaijan's land borders closed is, while simultaneously serving as further confirmation of Mr. President's visionary and wise statesmanship policy," Ali Asadov added.
On March 5, an attack was carried out on the territory of Nakhchivan using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Iranian territory. One of the drones fell on the terminal building of the Nakhchivan International Airport, while the second landed near a school building in the village of Shekarabad in the Babek district. Four civilians were injured as a result of the attack on the airport. In connection with the incident, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Azerbaijan, Mojtaba Demirchilu, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Azerbaijan has declared that it reserves the right to take retaliatory measures.
Azerbaijan has maintained a special quarantine regime and kept its land borders closed for passenger traffic since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, citing national security and public health concerns. While the decision is periodically extended by the Cabinet of Ministers, officials have increasingly emphasized the security dimension of the closure in light of shifting regional dynamics and potential external threats. The recent escalation near the border highlights the strategic importance Baku places on controlling entry points to maintain internal stability and prevent cross-border provocations.
