Armenia never has and will never be involved in any conspiracy against Iran, says the Armenian prime minister amid heightened tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan.
“I am confident that our Iranian partners know that the Republic of Armenia has never been and will never be involved in any conspiracy against Iran, because we extremely value those relations,” Nikol Pashinyan said, Armen Press reported on Sunday.
Pashinyan said his country will never forget that “Iran was the path of life for Armenia in the early 90s,” making a reference to a peace agreement brokered by Iran in 1992 between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“This is such a firm ground for our relations that rules out any involvement of Armenia in any anti-Iran conspiracy,” he reiterated.
The remarks come amid heightened tensions between Iran and neighboring Azerbaijan over the Israeli regime’s presence on Azeri soil, which Iran regards as a threat against its national security.
The Iranian Army’s Ground Forces on Friday held military exercises codenamed Fatehan-e Khaybar (Conquerors of Khaybar) in the northwestern part of the country.
Iran’s top security official says neighboring states need to remain vigilant in the face of foreign influence.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has criticized Iran’s exercises. Tehran has hit back by saying that holding drills is part of the national sovereignty, warning that Israel’s anti-Iran activities in neighboring countries will not be tolerated.
On Sunday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the interference of foreign actors in the region is a source of discord and damage, warning that those who suffer from the illusion of trusting foreign forces to establish security in their country “will soon get slapped.”
Armenian FM arrives in Tehran
On Monday, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan arrived in Tehran to meet his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, the two foreign ministers will issue a joint press statement after their scheduled meeting.
Mirzoyan and Amir-Abdollahian met on the sidelines of the latest session of the UN General Assembly in New York last month, when the former called for expansion of cooperation with the Islamic Republic in the oil and energy sectors.
In his Sunday remarks, Pashinyan pointed out that he has met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi twice, which he said shows how much Armenia values its relations with Iran.
Iranian lawmakers have hailed recent military exercises in northwestern Iran as a warning against Israel.
The Armenian prime minister said during his meetings with President Raeisi that he had suggested that major projects with Iran would be accelerated, particularly the 3rd high-voltage power transmission line which is under construction.
He said the Armenian side hopes to extend the “gas for electricity” contract.
“During the meetings, I also suggested that we should return to the issue of the construction of Meghri reservoir and HPP, which I think is very important not only in terms of energy, but also in terms of joint management of water resources,’’ Pashinyan added.