Iran’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Abbas Araghchi, who is visiting Yerevan on Tuesday, warned of escalation in tensions in the region, thus urging Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign a peace treaty “as soon as possible.”
“Iran welcomes the agreement reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the peace agreement and encourage the two countries to sign the final document as soon as possible,” Araghchi said during a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan on Tuesday.
“We support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries of the region and stand against any change of internationally recognized borders and any geopolitical changes,” the Iranian foreign minister added.
“We believe that the signing of that deal is very important for the peace and stability in the South Caucasus and for the development of economic relations,” Araghchi said. “We do hope that the treaty will minimize the threats of escalation in the region, and we’ll witness stability, which is in everyone’s interest.”
“It is the steadfast position of the Islamic Republic of Iran that all issues in the region should be solved inside the region through dialogue and diplomacy, without the use of force,” Araghchi emphasized.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Abbas Araghchi (foreground) with his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, during a press conference in Yerevan on Mar. 25
Iran’s top diplomat also reiterated his country’s longstanding opposition to Baku’s scheme to establish a so-called land “corridor” through Armenia for access to Nakhichevan.
Aragchi re-emphasized that Iran stands against any change of internationally recognized borders.
“We believe that issues in the region should be solved through dialogue and diplomacy and stand against any military action,” Araghchi added.
He stressed that the unblocking of regional transit connections should take place within the framework of sovereignty of the countries, and the territorial integrity and national legislature should be respected.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran stands for the use of communication and transit routes, but only within the framework of respect for internationally recognized border. Any other route will be considered unacceptable,” Araghchi said.
Foreign Minister Mirzoyan concurred, saying that the inviolability of the border between Iran and Armenia is of vital importance for both countries.
“During the discussions, I presented the latest developments regarding the process of delimitation of the interstate border with Azerbaijan and the signing of a peace agreement. I reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to establishing lasting peace and stability in the region, one of the key milestones of which would be the signing of the already fully agreed text of the peace agreement,” Mirzoyan told the press conference, expressing gratitude for Tehran’s support in welcoming the agreement on the text of the peace deal with Azerbaijan and emphasizing the importance of its swift signing.
“Yerevan has repeatedly emphasized that it highly appreciates Tehran’s clear stance on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia. For both Iran and Armenia, the inviolability of the border between our states is of vital importance,” Mirzoyan stressed.
