Zarif expresses hope for de-escalation between Azerbaijan, Armenia
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has described the Caucasus as a “vital region,” stressing that lasting peace and security there is a matter of national security for Iran.
According to Press TV, Zarif, who is in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, made the remarks in a meeting with the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ara Ayvazyan on Wednesday.
He reaffirmed Iran’s principled policy vis-à-vis the Karabakh dispute since the 1990s and underscored the need to respect the territorial integrity of all regional countries as well as peaceful settlement of conflicts.
The FM pointed to Iran’s efforts over the past months to contribute to a peaceful resolution of regional disputes. While voicing concerns over the recent confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the top diplomat stressed the need for the parties to the conflict to show restraint, respect each other’s territorial integrity and make efforts to resolve disputes through dialog.
He said Iran is unsettled by any tension in the region and highlighted safeguarding internationally recognized borders as well as countries’ territorial integrity as a red line of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Zarif also hoped that regional tensions, including the Baku-Yerevan dispute, would further decrease so that countries of the region could move towards stability and increase interactions for the sake of the peoples of the region.
For his part, the Armenian official called for constant consultations and dialogue between leaders of the two countries and expressed hope that bilateral ties would further expand in different sectors.
Referring to the fresh border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan in recent weeks, he admitted that such incidents go against the stability and calm in the region.
Earlier in the day, Zarif also met with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Prior to his visit to Yerevan, Zarif went to Baku, where he sat down for talks with Azerbaijan’s officials, including President Ilham Aliyev, on Tehran-Baku relations as well as major issues of regional and international significance.
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