Tuesday, January 24 2023 17:08

ArmInfo.on around the processes in the South Caucasus. This was stated by Konstantin  Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of  the Russian Federation for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and  Relations with Compatriots, during the Moscow-Tehran video bridge on  the topic: "South Caucasus: interests of Russia and Iran."

According to the Russian MP, both Russia and Iran expressed their  concern about the consequences of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh in the  fall of 2020, and current events in the Caucasus, including  Azerbaijan's attempts to destabilize the situation in Transcaucasia.

According to him, there is an understanding that Azerbaijan is an  important regional player today, but there is also an understanding  that in the current realities, the Azerbaijani side is trying to  achieve all its goals.  Zatulin recalled that Iran had clearly  expressed its principled position on the current situation in the  region, emphasizing the inadmissibility of changing the borders of  the countries of the region.

Zatulin also noted the inadmissibility of Azerbaijan's attempts to  get a corridor through the sovereign territory of Armenia through  pressure and taking advantage of the situation.

"We also note the desire of Western countries to take advantage of  the situation in the Caucasus in order to change the foreign policy  vector of the Caucasian countries - Armenia and Azerbaijan. The West  achieves success, including because of the actions of the Russian  side.

In turn, Expert on the Caucasus region, Head of the Caucasus Studies  Institute at the University of Tehran Jafar Khashe noted that the  Syunik region of Armenia is important for the United States, since  the region is close to Iran. According to him, the processes in the  Caucasus can be of key importance in terms of further developments in  Central Asia. "The Syunik region of Armenia plays a key role in this  game. It must be understood that the winner in this regional battle  will then have influence in other regions," he said, emphasizing the  importance of focusing on the trips of various foreign military  personnel to this region.

In this vein, Khashe urged to pay attention to the "invisible hands"  that are trying to connect Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan through the  Armenian territories. According to him, the supporters of the Great  Turan, including Turkey and Great Britain, put pressure and influence  on the current processes in the region.  The expert also urged to pay  attention to the fact that NATO, represented by Turkey, is currently  building a large base on Mount Ararat. "Why is it? There is no  answer. We believe that its goal is to spy on the Russian military  base on the territory of Armenia. This suggests that they have big  plans here," the Iranian analyst noted, recalling that the United  States does not consider each region in separately, they are all  interconnected for them.  The expert expressed his conviction that  against the background of these processes, Russia and Iran should  intensify their relations in order to create a balance in the region.  "Given that Russia is busy in Ukraine, Iran can provide its  assistance in this matter," he said, adding that the blockade of the  Lachin corridor is an inhuman step. In his opinion, the Iranian  peacekeepers can assist the Russian ones in stabilizing the current  situation around Nagorno-Karabakh and preventing a possible  escalation.