Situation is rather tense – Armenia’s acting PM to Iran’s FM on developments on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia’s Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received today Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif who arrived in Armenia on a working visit, Government’s press service reports.

Welcoming the visit of the Iranian minister to Yerevan, Pashinyan stressed that the relations with Iran are of strategic significance for Armenia. The acting PM also referred to the development of economic ties between the countries but added that due to a number of circumstances, including coronavirus pandemic the free economic zone created in Armenia’s Meghri to boost economic relations with Iran have not gain enough boost.

“But we are convinced that it may become a very important fulcrum for the future development of the economic part of our relations,” Armenia’s acting PM said.

Pashinyan also expressed Armenia’s interest in boosting more high level political relations with Iran.

“We are also discussing issues of security sector, there are certain issues on the agenda and the nature of our talks and discussions is strategic. We must exert efforts to reach success,” he said.

Armenia’s acting PM also referred to the situation on the border with Azerbaijan, adding that in few sections the Azerbaijani armed forces sub-divisions illegally crossed Armenia’s border.

“Our position is clear – the sub-divisions of the Azerbaijani armed forces must leave our territories. And for it we first of all exert political-diplomatic efforts because from the very first days our CSTO partners are urging us to first try to settle the issue in diplomatic-political way,” Pashinyan said.

The acting PM said that according to the CSTO agreement the military actions in the territory of our country will mean that other countries of the CSTO are being engaged in war.

“Of course, our wish is to settle the issue in diplomatic-political ways. Sadly, I may register, that in this condition yesterday we already had a victim,” Pashinyan said, adding that the situation is rather tense and that the meeting with the Iranian minister is a good occasion to get familiarized with Iran’s viewpoints on overcoming the situation.