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Zarif to Armenia FM: International borders cannot be changed

Monday, 28 December 2020 6:12 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 28 December 2020 6:41 PM ]

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has once again emphasized in talks with his Armenian counterpart that international borders are inviolable and should not change under any circumstances.

In a phone conversation with Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian on Monday, Zarif expressed his regret over the recent conflict in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region and extended his condolences to the bereaved.

The top Iranian diplomat underlined the position of the Islamic Republic on the inviolability of international borders and the country's sensitivity in this regard.

Zarif also said the end of the conflict in Karabakh would pave the way for multilateral cooperation in the region, and expressed Iran's readiness to develop economic cooperation with Armenia in the new era.

Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but it has been occupied by ethnic Armenian separatists backed by Armenia since 1992 when they broke from Azerbaijan in a war that killed some 30,000 people.

Fierce clashes re-erupted between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces over the disputed Caucasus region in late September. The two sides finally agreed to end hostilities in early October under a Russian-brokered deal, under which Armenia ceded swathes of territory to Azerbaijan.

Armenia, Azerbaijan deal sparks celebrations and protests

Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia have signed an agreement to end military conflict over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, but some say the deal is a betrayal.

The agreement was signed after the Azerbaijani army overwhelmed Armenian forces and threatened to advance on Karabakh’s main city of Khankendi, which Armenians have renamed Stepanakert after a 19th-century Bolshevik militant.

The ceasefire, which secured territorial advances for Azerbaijan in Karabakh and seven surrounding districts, has been largely holding, despite sporadic ceasefire violations reported by the two sides.

Azerbaijan says nearly 2,800 of own soldiers killed in Karabakh war

Azerbaijan says 2,783 members of its army have been killed in the recent war with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Russia deployed a peacekeeping force of around 2,000 soldiers to Karabakh under the accord.

The truce was seen as a victory in Azerbaijan and prompted anger in Armenia, with protesters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

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