SAEDNEWS: The Minister of Foreign Affairs, in an interview, referring to Iran’s concern about geopolitical changes in the Caucasus region, said: We will not tolerate any violation of the sovereignty of any of the region’s countries.
According to Saed News, quoting IRNA; Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in an interview referring to today’s trip of Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of our country, to Armenia, said regarding this trip: Our relations with Armenia are very old and with very close ties; both our Armenian compatriots in Iran have been a strong point of connection with Armenia, and in any case, there have been very close cultural and historical connections between the two countries. In addition, important geopolitical and economic interests have brought the two countries closer together, and for this reason our relations have seen very remarkable growth in recent years. Iranian companies are active in large projects in Armenia, and other projects are also underway.
He added: The Persian language is widely taught in Armenia; of course, I must explain the reason: the Armenian government has passed a law that all students are obliged to master the language of one of the neighboring countries as their second language. Interestingly, according to statistics given to me by our embassy in Yerevan, we have more than 300 Persian-language students, which is unique; in none of the neighboring countries do we have this number of Persian-language students. The level of our contacts and cooperation, and especially the positive view that both sides have towards each other, is extensive.
Araghchi continued: In the meantime, we are facing a sensitive issue, which is the discussion of the connection of Nakhchivan to the mainland of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and this issue has created a very strategic and sensitive debate in recent years that has caused many concerns, both on our side and on the side of other countries in the region, since there is a possibility of geopolitical changes in the region.
He emphasized: What is our main concern is that, because of this issue, geopolitical changes may occur in the region. What do we mean by geopolitical changes? Changing internationally recognized borders, moving borders, in other words undermining the sovereignty or territorial integrity of regional countries; that is, for example, a part of Armenia being used in such a way that would lead to occupation, change, or weakening of sovereignties.
The Foreign Minister stated: We have said very clearly before that we will not tolerate such a thing, and our policy has always been clear, and we have also taken actions in this regard to show our seriousness, which everyone is aware of. Our policy now is the same: we do not accept geopolitical changes in the region. What has happened now is that a statement has been signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in which it is explicitly stated that both sides accept the inviolability of the region’s borders, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region, and have no intention of changing them. From this perspective, our geopolitical concern at the present stage appears to have been resolved.
He went on to say: However, from an economic standpoint, yes, it may cause some losses for us, and from a political perspective there are also issues that I will mention. From an economic perspective, that transit road passing through Iran may become somewhat less prominent, though this depends on us and how we increase the attractiveness of this road so that more movement and transportation take place along this route. But in any case, this road may be affected by these developments. Still, in this case, we cannot prevent a country from building a road inside its own territory; as long as this road is under the full sovereignty and under the laws and judicial authority of Armenia, from the perspective of international law we cannot object to it.
Araghchi noted: Another concern is that this road might become a pretext for the presence of American forces in the region, but in the contacts that Armenian officials had with us in recent days—Mr. Pashinyan spoke with the President, the Foreign Minister spoke with me, the Deputy Foreign Minister contacted me and also came to Iran and gave full explanations, and on Saturday their National Security Council Secretary contacted Dr. Larijani—they assured us that they would respect the red lines of the Islamic Republic, that they are familiar with these red lines and will continue to respect them in the future. They assured us that under no circumstances will American forces be present in Armenia because of this road, and they even assured us that American private security companies, which as you know are present in some countries of our region, will not be present in Armenia under the pretext of this road.
He stated that, of course, we are following this closely, and said: During the President’s trip, which will take place on Monday, August 18, this point will definitely be discussed. We will reiterate our concerns, which our Armenian friends are aware of, and we will try to also reach a confidence-building mechanism in this regard. This will be our subject of discussion.
Araghchi added: Therefore, I would like to say that we should look at this issue realistically; our concerns remain in place, that no change should occur in the geopolitics of the region, and that no foreign force should be present in the region. Just as we are concerned, for example, about the possibility of the Zionist regime being present in some of these countries, or about the efforts made by the European Union to have a presence in this region.
The Foreign Minister continued: Our policy has been shaped within the 3+3 framework, meaning the three Caucasus countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, plus the three countries surrounding the region that have interests in the region and also share common concerns: Iran, Turkey, and Russia.
Regarding the 3+3 format and its function, Araghchi said: This grouping has convened two or three times so far; of course, due to the disputes Georgia has with Russia, it does not participate in these meetings. However, this framework has been so important for the countries of the region that, even without Georgia’s participation, they have decided to hold these meetings and still call it “3+3.”
He emphasized: This framework has not yet reached a point where it can resolve the region’s problems, but this is our policy, and it is also Russia’s policy. I think it is also the policy of Turkey and our other friends; everyone believes that the region’s problems must be solved within the region by the regional countries.
Araghchi added: The problem between Azerbaijan and Armenia is, of course, a long-standing issue; for a long time, from the beginning, the “Minsk Group” was formed, which was largely Europe-oriented. This group has not been able to resolve the dispute between the two sides for years, and now they have decided to propose its dissolution, meaning the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe will dissolve this group. In my opinion, this indicates the diminishing role of Europe in the Caucasus region.
He stressed: Our policy is clear; regional mechanisms must be strengthened. We are moving in this direction. Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan has always been supported by us and by all the countries of the region.
In response to the question of whether, during President Pezeshkian’s trip to Armenia, this will pursue a mechanism to address our concerns, he said: We hope this will be achieved. We will have discussions in this regard in Yerevan. Armenia is familiar with our red lines, and in the past few days we have repeated our positions many times. One of the concerns is the long-term presence of the United States in the region, which none of the regional countries accepts. The Special Representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry for Caucasus affairs also came to Tehran just a few days ago and had a meeting with me. We and Russia share similar positions on this matter. That this route becomes a pretext for the presence of foreign forces is not acceptable to anyone.
He noted: It is interesting to know that the Armenians insist that the word “corridor” must not be used at all to define this route, which they have called a “road” in the agreement. Of course, it probably also includes a railway line. But in the text of the agreement, the word “corridor” has not been used, because once the term “corridor” is used, it has its own specific implications that in some way relate to sovereignty, meaning it could undermine sovereignty. The word “corridor” has not been used, and they insist it must not be used at all. There is a road that an American-Armenian consortium has undertaken to construct in Armenia.
