Iran is ready to send observers to the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri said Wednesday, October 4, Mehr News Agency reports (via Armenpress).
General Bagheri made the remarks at a meeting with Armen Grigoryan, the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia.
The Iranian General said that Tehran is ready to contribute to reducing tensions in the Caucasus region.
The developments in the South Caucasus affect the security of the region, Bagheri as saying. He stressed that the continuation of tension in the region is not in the interest of Armenia, Azerbaijan, or other countries in the region.
He also called for taking measures to resolve disputes and tensions in the region.
Expressing Iran's readiness to dispatch observers to the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Iranian military official emphasized that there should not be any aggressive goal or intention behind the improvement of the defense capabilities of any country.
"Peace and tranquility in the region are in the interest of all countries, and security in the region must be ensured by the countries of the region, and the presence of extra-regional forces is contrary to the peace of the region," he further underlined.
Grigoryan, for his part, briefed the Iranian military official on the latest developments in the Caucasus region.
On September 19, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh, which left hundreds of Armenians killed and thousands of others displaced. On September 20, the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to a ceasefire on Azerbaijan’s terms, including the dissolution of the Defense Army. On September 18, President of the Republic of Artsakh Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree, according to which the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) will cease to exist by January 1, 2024. As of 1 October, 100,625 displaced residents have already fled Nagorno-Karabakh and reached Armenia.
