Iran's temporary cancellation of visa-free regime hinders movement of NAR residents within Azerbaijan

Temporary restoration of Iran visa regime for citizens of Azerbaijan has restricted visits of residents of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) to the rest part of Azerbaijan and in the opposite direction.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has notified the official Baku on the temporary suspension of visa regime for citizens of Azerbaijan, starting from August 5 till August 31, in connection with the upcoming summit of the leaders of the member states of the "Non-Aligned Movement", which is to be held in Tehran on August 26. The Iranian side motivated the limitation of visitors by the need to ensure security measures.

The Iranian authorities have also introduced the similar measures of suspension of the visa-free regime for other neighbouring countries Turkey, Georgia.

However, for the residents of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, which has no direct land communication with the rest of Azerbaijan in connection with the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, that step of the Iranian authorities created problems. The introduction of visa regime contributes to formation of lines in front of the NAR consulate in Nakhichevan. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Malakhat Nasibova, the head of the Regional "Resource Centre for development of NGOs and democracy", acting in the NAR.

According to Malakhat Nasibova, the introduction of new rules took by surprise not only the NAR residents, but also other citizens of Azerbaijan, who came to the NAR to stay with their relatives: to return, they must also obtain visas.

The NAR residents believe that the measure should not affect transit passengers. Every day, 5-6 buses transit through Iran between Baku and Nakhichevan.

"Here, at a 40-degree hot weather, we spend hours standing in line to get visas and to go by bus to Baku. We live near the very border with Iran. However, at present, to cross the territory of that country, we should travel for 80 miles in the opposite direction to the Iranian consulate in Nakhichevan to get visas. This increases our expenses for the travel. As a result, we lose time, money, and, finally, health, standing in the line under the scorching sun," said Takhmaz Akhmedov, a resident of the village of Sadarak.

Zardusht Alizade, Azerbaijani political analyst, treats the Iran's temporary restoration of the visa regime as normal practice in international relations.

"States may take certain visa restrictions for security reasons prior to some major summits, international competitions, cultural events," Zardusht Alizade has explained.

The Azerbaijani authorities do not comment on the decision of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) on visas, referring to the fact that it is the sovereign right of the Iranian state.