Iran welcomes Russia's efforts to peacefully resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but threats in the region remain. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, chairman of Iran's Mejlis (unicameral parliament), said this in a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Academy.
"The continuation of this conflict could create security issues on Iran's northern borders. We are pleased that Russia has made efforts to end this war as soon as possible. But I think there are dormant threats in this region. I mean, we have to prevent the presence of terrorist forces in this region," he said.
According to the parliamentarian, now on the agenda is the need to organize sustainable cooperation between the countries of the region. This will also open new opportunities for the development of Iranian-Russian relations.
The situation escalated on September 27 and active battles broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku and Yerevan have disputed ownership of the region since February 1988, when it announced it was seceding from the Azerbaijani SSR. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on the full cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh on November 9 last year. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides stopped at the occupied positions, a number of areas came under Baku's control, and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the line of contact and the Lachin corridor.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS