Aref: Iran’s Strategic Approach is Based on Non-Interference By Foreign Countries

Aref made the remarks on Friday during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Prime Ministers’ Summit in Kyrgyzstan’s Cholpon-Ata.

“Iran’s strategic approach is based on non-interference by foreign countries and forces—especially in the geopolitics of the region—because regional issues do not require external forces. All countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia can live together in peace, stability, and security,” he said.

Aref's remarks came shortly after Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a peace treaty in Washington aimed at ending nearly four decades of conflict. Reports indicated that a US private consortium would oversee the Zangezur corridor along Iran’s border, a development that has drawn Tehran’s close attention.

Aref stressed Iran’s opposition to unilateralism, aligning with Russia’s stance.

“Like Russia, the Islamic Republic opposes the United States’ unilateralism in global affairs and believes that regional states are capable of addressing their challenges without outside intervention,” he pointed out.

The Russian prime minister, for his part, emphasized that trade and economic cooperation between Moscow and Tehran has significantly increased in recent years.

The implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Iran and the EAEU plays a vital role in expanding Iran’s ties with the regional countries, he said, highlighting the importance of the North–South Corridor in this regard.

Mishustin also underlined the need for enhancing Iran-Russia cooperation in the fields of science and technology, as well as tourism.

Commenting on to the latest developments in the Caucasus, he said all regional countries must maintain relations based on the principle of good neighborliness, and together build the future of the region.