After last July’s incident, Turkey, a member of NATO, warned the Islamic Republic not to repeat ever again its menaces against Azerbaijan.

Among the five nations that borders the energy-rich Caspian Sea, Iran, which has the shortest shores, is the only one that insists on the equal sharing of the waters.

Iran angrily denounced three days ago Russia for an agreement it signed with neighbouring Kazakhstan defining their mutual borders in the Caspian, saying it considers any such accords as "void and illegal" in the absence of an agreement by all sides on the legal status of the Caspian.

After meeting in Baku with President Aliyev on Thursday, American Envoy for the Caspian Sea Steve Mann publicly said Washington backed bilateral accord in the Caspian Sea; a statement that political analysts said is tantamount of a warning to Iran.

Many in Baku consider Iran's tough stance on the Caspian as an attempt to prevent Azerbaijan from further developing its ties with American oil majors seeking to develop offshore oil fields.

"Assured of firm pledge from America and Turkey, Aliyev would try to encourage Iran on agreeing to divide the Caspian on basis other than it's stated equal sharing and under present circumstances, it seems to me very difficult Tehran showing flexibility on that matter", Iranian journalist Ahmad Zeydabadi told the Persian service of the BBC. 

However, in remarks published Thursday in a number of Azerbaijani media outlets, the press officer of the Iranian embassy in Azerbaijan, Ezzatollah Jalali, said Tehran views the forthcoming talks as "the beginning of a new stage" in bilateral relations.

Prior to his departure for Tehran, Aliyev told reporters that negotiations on the Caspian Sea legal regime dispute as well as finding solutions to the Nagorni-Karabakh dispute would top his mission's agenda.

But Mr. Zeydabadi said considering Iran's ambivalent and confused diplomacy regarding that conflict make it difficult for the Islamic Republic to play a significant role as a mediator, specially after the group of Minsk and major powers have stepped in. "As a Muslim nation, the Islamic Republic backs Azerbaijan, also a Muslim, and like Iran, Shi'ia dominated nation that is aggressed by Armenia. But at the same time, Iran has developed privileged ties with both Yerevan and Athenes, Turkey's principal and historic enemy", he noted.

"Iran and Azerbaijan are very important for each other. Mutual relations with Iran are very important for Azerbaijan as well for Iran. We want relations in all spheres to be developed with Iran", Aliyev added.

Aliev's visit takes place three weeks after the Azerbaijani leader and his Iranian counterpart met on the sidelines of a Caspian Summit held in the Turkmen capital, Eshqabad.

Baku regularly accuses Tehran of conducting intelligence activities on its territory and of harbouring members of the officially defunct Armenian Secret Army of the Liberation of Armenia, the Radio added.

"Iran fiercely opposes close co-operation between Azerbaijan and the West, and this is a stumbling block in relations between the two countries," the Baku-based "Zerkalo" newspaper commented on its website yesterday, adding: "To a certain extent, one can understand Iran. Its interests have been ignored on a number of regional projects, automatically prompting Tehran to adopt an anti-Azerbaijani position."

In articles published Saturday, Tehran newspapers quoted Iranian experts calling on Baku to stop such "nefarious, unfriendly propaganda".

"One could compare the problems that exist between Azerbaijan and Iran to a snowball. The longer a snowball rolls, the bigger it becomes, and there is no end to this process", "Zerkalo" daily commented on Friday, adding that the bilateral agreements Aliyev would sign in Tehran "will unlikely remove the political tension between the two countries".

"I do not expect this visit to solve those serious problems that exist between Azerbaijan and Iran. In any case, the atmosphere that prevails on the eve of the meetings, the unconstructive position displayed in Eshqabad by Iran regarding the division of the Caspian Sea, Tehran's perpetual reprimands on whom Azerbaijan should or should not have relations with, its constant opposition to Azerbaijan's collaboration with Western oil majors -- all this indicates that, at least, the backdrop of this visit is unfavourable", senior Azeri political analysts said.

"It is unfortunate that the Republic of Azerbaijan encourages the presence of foreign powers in the region", Mrs. Fatemeh Koola’i, a member of the Majles Foreign Affairs and National Security and an expert on Caucasia said, referring to Baku-Washington ties.

Another expert, Professor Davood Hermidas Bavand warned Baku that its destiny is with neighbouring Iran and "nothing, not even relying on major foreign powers can alter this situation".

Ministers accompanying Mr. Aliyev stressed the importance of Tehran-Baku co-operation, saying it plays an important role in forging and defending peace and stability in the region and in the world's political arenas.

Several contracts on road transportation, an agreement to quarantine plants and domesticated animals, various protocols on exports, sports, air transport and customs are among the protocols to be signed during Aliyev's current visit, IRNA said Saturday.

Azerbaijan and Iran have been linked by a friendship pact since 1994, but Aliyev has reportedly been pressing for a stronger treaty.

The Azeri ministers of Foreign Affairs, Culture, Agriculture and Food, Economics, Transportation, Youth and Sports, Head of state Customs Administration, President of state oil company SOCAR and a number of other high-ranking officials accompany Aliyev in this trip. 

At the first meeting with Khatami, a semantic row opposed the tow men over the name of the Caspian Sea, which Khatami had referred to as "Mazandaran Sea", from the Iranian Province of Mazandaran on the Caspian coast that Aliyev observed he did not know any lake on that name. "Maybe you are talking about the Qazvin Sea", he said. ENDS IRAN AZERBAIJAN 18502