Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed on Tuesday that Iran supports peace in the Caucasus region between Azerbaijan and Armenia, criticizing foreign interference in security issues of the region.
Pezeshkian headed to Armenia on Monday for talks on a planned corridor linking Azerbaijan with its exclave near the border with Iran, part of a peace deal signed at the White House on August 8.
Iran has long opposed the planned transit route, also known as the Zangezur corridor, fearing it would cut the country off from Armenia and the rest of the Caucasus, while bringing potentially hostile foreign forces close to its borders.
On Tuesday, the Iranian president met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ahead of bilateral talks where the two countries signed 10 agreements.
Pashinyan told Pezeshkian that his visit will give a new impetus to the friendly relations between Armenia and Iran.
For his part, Pezeshkian said the two sides want to develop their level of cooperation, especially in the economic field.
Pezeshkian’s visit highlights Iran’s concerns over the peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia that aims to end decades of conflict between the two Southern Caucasus neighbors.
Under the agreement, the United States will hold development rights for the proposed Zangezur route, which would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave bordering Iran and Türkiye.
In Yerevan, Pezeshkian described peace in the South Caucasus region as a “strategic priority” for Iran.
“Iran's position has always been against any changes in international borders in the Caucasus region,” he said.
“We believe that agreement and friendship are the most important factors for security, stability and movement towards development,” he added.
Iran has always defended the safety of Armenia’s regional territories, Pezeshkian stressed, adding that “Outsourcing the resolution of Caucasus issues to extra-regional forces will further complicate the situation in the region.”
Pashinyan presented to Pezeshkian the details of the peace agreement. “This process is aimed at opening up great prospects for the economic development of the entire region,” he said.
He reassured his guest that the planned corridor linking Azerbaijan with its exclave will be under Armenian control.
“Roads passing through Armenia will be under the exclusive jurisdiction of Armenia, and security will be provided by Armenia, not by any third country,” Pashinyan said.
He added that the corridor would open new economic opportunities between the two countries and may offer a railway route from Iran to the Black Sea coast through Armenia.
The Armenian PM also noted that his country’s cooperation with Tehran covers many other areas, such as the economy, infrastructure, energy, healthcare, culture and environment.
A number of existing infrastructure projects between Armenia and Iran have already entered the practical stage, he revealed, noting that these projects are of strategic importance to Armenia.
One of these projects is the 32-kilometer Kajaran-Agarak road section, the construction of which the Armenian side has entrusted to an Iranian company, Pashinyan said, voicing his confidence that the road will be commissioned within the specified period.
"This will open new doors for railway cooperation between Armenia and Iran, including through the Nakhchivan-Julfa railway line, which will mean Iran’s railway access to Armenia and, ultimately, to the Black Sea,” he went on to say.
Pashinyan said Iran and Armenia have set a strategic goal to increase the volume of bilateral trade with Iran, first to one and then to $3 billion.
