YEREVAN (Azatutyun) — Outside powers cannot bring peace and stability to the South Caucasus, Iran’s leaders have told Armenia’s visiting Defense Minister Suren Papikyan in what appears to be a fresh warning to Yerevan.
It comes amid a further deterioration of Armenia’s relations with Russia, its longtime ally, and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s apparent efforts to reorient his country towards the West.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stressed the importance of “the non-interference of outsiders in regional affairs” when he met with Papikyan, a key member of Pashinyan’s political team, late on Thursday, March 7.
“Allowing outsiders to interfere will not bring security; security and peace will be guaranteed only by the cooperation of the countries of the region themselves,” Raisi was quoted by his office as saying.
Iran’s Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani was similarly reported to tell Papikyan on Wednesday that “seeking security outside the region” could only “bring about more challenges to regional peace and stability”.
Tehran has repeatedly conveyed the same message to Yerevan in the past several months. Pashinyan’s administration has been seeking closer security ties with the United States and Europe amid its unprecedented tensions with Russia. It also prefers Western mediation of peace talks with Azerbaijan.
