Iran says it has received assurances from Armenia regarding its concerns about the potential escalation of geopolitical competition in the South Caucasus stemming from the Armenian leader’s recent high-level discussions with officials from the United States and the European Union in Brussels.
The Islamic Republic’s ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani said in Yerevan on Tuesday that Tehran had a discussion with the Armenian authorities about Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s April 5 meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen which the Western powers said was focused on helping Armenia increase its resilience and diversify its economy, which is still heavily dependent on Russia.
“The Armenian authorities have told us that it is not directed against any third country, that this is just to strengthen the economy of Armenia and to receive humanitarian aid and support for those displaced from Karabakh. Naturally, Armenia’s efforts to develop the economy and solve the problems of the people displaced from Karabakh are not the problem whose solutions we oppose. And this is Armenia’s right to look for ways to develop its economy and solve its problems,” the Iranian diplomat said.
“Our concern is that Armenia and the [South] Caucasus should not turn into an arena for geopolitical rivalry and that the development of Armenia’s foreign relations should not be at the expense of other countries. And the Armenian authorities have informed us that the diversification of their country’s foreign policy is not directed against Armenia-Iran relations,” Sobhani added.
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At the press conference, the Iranian ambassador also addressed the question of which are the “extra-regional forces” whose intervention in the South Caucasus is considered dangerous by Tehran.
“If I am talking about extra-regional forces, I am talking about oversees countries, which are not related to any security or geopolitical issues [of the region]. That is, they come here from across the ocean and try to make decisions for the people of this region,” Sobhani said.
Asked whether members of the EU mission who have been monitoring the Armenian-Azerbaijani border since last year are among such “extra-regional forces”, the Iranian ambassador said: “Yes, some European countries and the United States are.”
Meanwhile, the Iranian diplomat said that Tehran’s “red lines” regarding borders in the South Caucasus have not changed.
“Iran has expressed its opposition to the change of internationally recognized borders at the highest level, at the level of the head of the country, and it cannot be ignored. We are categorically against the change of any geopolitical and internationally recognized borders. If there are problems on the border, they should be solved on the basis of dialogue, mutual understanding, with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries respected,” Sobhani said.
The Iranian ambassador to Armenia also spoke about Israel, claiming that it is trying to create tensions between the countries of the region and Iran.
“It is also clear to everyone that one of the factors of instability in the South Caucasus is the Israeli regime. This regime, in addition to trying to develop militarism in the region, also attempts to create tension between the countries of the region and Iran. I believe that the peoples of the region are so prudent that they will never confront any country with such steps as the Zionist regime,” Sobhani claimed.
