Iran’s President Cautions Against Caucasus Becoming a Battleground for External Powers

In a recent telephone conversation between Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President Raisi reiterated Iran's support for fostering communication channels and infrastructure with the Caucasus region. This support, he emphasized, must align with the crucial principles of respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity for all nations involved. The official website of the Iranian leader reported these statements.

President Raisi affirmed Iran's backing for any initiative or platform aimed at establishing communication routes and infrastructures with the Caucasus region. He said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran supports any type of action and platform to open communication routes and infrastructures with the Caucasus region, while respecting the principle of respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and evaluates it as an effective step in the direction of consolidating peace and securing the interests of its neighbors.”

Expressing the significance of the Caucasus region, President Raisi emphasized the need for peace and stability, outlining Iran's fixed foreign policy towards the area. He cautioned against allowing the Caucasus to become a battleground for external powers and advocated for regional countries to autonomously handle their issues without outside interference. Raisi stated, “The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the Caucasus is fixed and care must be taken that the Caucasus region does not become a field of competition for extra-regional countries and that its issues are handled by the countries of the region and without the interference of outsiders.”

Highlighting the recent 3+3 meeting held in Tehran, President Raisi hailed it as a constructive stride towards enhancing regional relationships and promoting cooperation among neighboring nations. He stressed the importance of fostering neighborly relations and enhancing cooperation to ensure mutual benefits and further the interests of the countries within the region, affirming these as fundamental policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Raisi added, “Developing neighborly relations and strengthening relations in order to ensure mutual benefits and the interests of the countries of the region are the fundamental policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

During the conversation, Prime Minister Pashinyan rated the recent economic cooperation between Armenia and Iran. He also discussed the latest regional developments and actions taken by officials from both countries in line with the agreements made, underscoring the significance of continued and amplified relations between high-ranking officials from Iran and Armenia as a testament to the comprehensive development of bilateral relations.