Wednesday, January 3 2024 15:01

ArmInfo. Tehran believes that all issues in the region should be resolved through dialogue, the territorial integrity of all countries should be preserved, and the rights of residents of these states should be respected within the framework of the national sovereignty of each country. Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani stated  in an interview with Armenian Public TV., answering the question of what Tehran's position is regarding the forced displacement of over 100,000 Armenians from Artsakh.

"We share the same opinion regarding the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. We believe that military action cannot solve fundamental regional problems. To solve them, it is necessary to identify the roots of the conflict, and this can be done through dialogue and peaceful communication," added the Iranian diplomat, expressing his convictions that that the best mechanism for solving existing problems is dialogue.

According to Sobhani, to achieve a common understanding on all issues, Armenia and Azerbaijan should talk to each other. "This is a package within which they must be able to reach mutual understanding that will ensure the establishment of a stable peace. This can be guaranteed by the participation of the countries of the region, a striking example of which is the holding of a meeting in the 3+3 format in Tehran. When the countries of the region support the agreements reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan, this could become the biggest guarantee of achieving permanent and stable peace in the region," the ambassador said.

Referring to the humanitarian assistance provided to refugees from Artsakh the diplomat noted that this was the least that the neighboring country could do. According to him, there is no religious, ethnic or other context in this either. "In Kapan, I met with Armenian settlers to understand why and under what conditions they left their homes. Their clear message to me was that they want the necessary conditions to be provided in Nagorno-Karabakh to return to their homes. I asked them why they left their homes, they responded that they had to do so because they did not feel physically safe," Sobhani said.

The ambassador also emphasized that Iran's position on regional developments has not changed. "We are against any geopolitical changes in the region. Changing borders is a "red line" for us, which was announced at the highest level in Iran and no one can deviate from this position," the diplomat said.  When asked to express his attitude to the extraterritorial corridor in the region, which Azerbaijan and Turkey insist on, Sobhani reminded that Tehran has repeatedly raised this issue. "An extraterritorial corridor through the territory of one of the countries in the region makes no sense.  Communication routes in each country are its sovereign affairs. I believe that the establishment of an extraterritorial corridor on the territory of Armenia has nothing to do with international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states," he noted.

At the same time, the ambassador wondered whether those states that talk about an extraterritorial corridor through Armenia are really ready to allow similar routes to be laid through the territory of their country? " I think that the answer can only be negative.  Therefore, they should not expect from others what they would not want in their case," Sobhani added.

Referring to the Armenian government's project "Crossroads of Peace", he noted that the Iranian side received this project through official channels and is now studying its technical component. At the same time, he stated that this project is a project for peaceful coexistence in the region, the development of communications and simplification of trade between the countries of the region, and is important in several aspects: political and commercial-economic ones.

Speaking about the activities of the Iranian Consulate General in Kapan, which opened last year, the ambassador noted that it played an important role in terms of simplifying traffic, helping drivers resolve emerging issues, increasing trade turnover between the two countries, intensifying contacts between people, and developing cultural ties.

The diplomat noted that the Syunik region is of strategic importance for Armenia, and added that the opening of a consular office in this region of the Republic of Armenia was a vital necessity. "We can say that this diplomatic establishment has continued the path to developing relations in this region," he added.  Sobhani also expressed hope that it will soon be possible to open an Armenian consular office in Tabriz.