Iran Cannot Abstain from Expressing Its Position on Artsakh Issue: RA NA President

On February 18, the President of the RA National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri.

Welcoming the guest, the NA President has noted that he observes Iran as a friendly country and a reliable partner. Touching upon the Artsakh conflict, Ararat Mirzoyan has stated that it is necessary to call into life the affirmed agreements after the tripartite statement signed on November 9 on the ceasefire: to carry out the urgent exchange of prisoners of war and other captive persons as a priority with the principle all-for-all as soon as possible. The Speaker of Parliament also added that the conflict could not be considered solved eventually, unless the issue of Nagorno Karabakh status would be regulated in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship – the Artsakh Armenians’ right to self-determination. Ararat Mirzoyan has underlined that Iran cannot abstain from expressing its position on Artsakh issue, taking into consideration also the active involvement of other regional states for the benefit of the Azerbaijani side, both in the phase of military actions and during its following period.

Ambassador Zohouri has informed that the Iranian side welcomes the reaching of the agreement on ceasefire in Artsakh and has reaffirmed the viewpoint voiced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Zarif that the problem of repatriation of prisoners of war shall be speedily solved.

During the meeting the sides discussed a number of issues on more enlivening of the inter-parliamentary ties, the activation of the economic relations between the two countries and developing joint economic activities especially in Syunik.