‘Until Rouhani-Sargsyan meeting Azerbaijan has received strict warning via Putin’: Sergey Shakaryants

Aravot, Armenia

Aug 12 2017

“Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to Iran was not official, but by business, however, in any case, a new quality is predicted in Armenian-Iranian relations. It is conditioned by Aliyev’s absence within the list of the presidents visited Tehran”, political scientist Sergey Shakaryants expressed his viewpoint on Rouhani-Sargsyan meeting.

He noticed – the official statement of the meeting encompassed a special space for a question relative to Artsakh conflict: “It is told that Iran sees the strengthening of stability and peace in territories nearby its Northern borders as a primary interest and it refers to the zone of Artsakh conflict.”

As stated by Shakaryants, from the aforementioned one may infer that Iranian side has given a task to Aliyev before Rouhani-Sargsyan meeting with regard to this via Putin. The political scientist indicates Putin-Aliyev meeting taken place lately in Sochi: “At that time Azerbaijan has been strictly warned not to make an attempt to violate the security and peace in territories nearby Northern Iran’s border… They convince us that war is unavoidable, but Iran is against it.”

Addressing theoretical component of Rouhani-Sargsyan meeting, Sergey Shakaryants highlighted – it seems Rouhani has confirmed that Iran needs Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor and it should pass through the territory of the Republic of Armenia: “For it to be realized, Iran needs additional guarantees. Iran will never provide a corridor to a country if it is not sure that anti-Iranian elements will not be in place in that country. Iran should control Armenia-Georgia territory, for that reason, it actively negotiates with the authorities of Georgia. How they will end, let us not predict. In the mentioned context Iran will also not let troops on its border, for example – peacekeepers, and it refers to Armenia alike. Iran’s aim is not to allow non-regional troops on the Iranian border.”

The political scientist also informed that before Rouhani-Sargsyan meeting Iran had made an agreement with Russia on making a joint production of unmanned aircraft vehicles and according to Shakaryants’ conviction, the Republic of Armenia should engage in the suchlike program too.

Luiza SUKIASYAN