Regional Stability and Inviolability of Borders Are “Red Lines” for Iran

YEREVAN — Regional stability, security and inviolability of borders are the “red lines” for Iran; Tehran will not tolerate any territorial changes in the region, Mahmoud Ahmadi Bilash, a member of Iran’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, said on Wednesday during a meeting in Yerevan with the Secretary of Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan.

Mahmoud Ahmadi-Bighash, arrived in Yerevan earlier this week together with several other members of an Iranian parliamentary group promoting closer ties with Armenia. They held a series of meetings with Armenian parliament deputies before being received by Armen Grigoryan.

A statement released by the council cited Ahmadi-Bighash as saying that the region is very important to the Islamic Republic.

Grigoryan said that Armenia’s proposal to begin an “era of peace” in the region coincides with Iran’s foreign policy priorities.

The Secretary of the Security Council also highlighted the launch of the Yerevan-Nakhijevan-Julfa railroad, stressing that it will lead to the economic development of the regional countries.

Grigoryan stressed that Armenia-Iran friendly relations have been intensively developing. At the end of the meeting, the interlocutors stressed the need to continue cooperation in various spheres.

Tensions between Tehran and Baku escalated following Azerbaijan’s decision to levy hefty fees from Iranian trucks transporting goods to and from Armenia.

The vehicles use a road mostly passing through Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province which is sandwiched between Azerbaijan and its Nakhichevan exclave and also borders Iran. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly threatened to forcibly open a “corridor” to Nakhichevan, drawing strong condemnation from Armenia.