Armenia’s Secretary of Security Council Discusses Regional Security with Iranian Counterpart

TEHRAN — The secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigoryan praised Iran’s policy towards the South Caucasus when he visited Tehran on Sunday amid escalating tensions between the Islamic Republic and Azerbaijan.

Grigoryan’s office said that he discussed with his Iranian opposite number, Ali Shamkhani, the “security situation in the region” and Armenian-Iranian relations.

Grigoryan lauded Iran’s “very effective” role in the realization of regional peace and stability, emphasizing that dialogue and interaction among countries constitute the only way of resolving the existing regional crises and preventing further tension and conflicts.

Shamkhani reiterated Tehran’s opposition to geographical changes in the Caucasus.

Shamkhani said that tensions and conflicts in the Caucasus region would not serve the interests of any country.

“Any geographical change in the South Caucasus region is a tension-building measure, which will play into the hands of the enemies of regional security and stability,” Press TV quoted Shamkhani as saying at the meeting with his Armenian counterpart.

Iran’s top security official added that continuous dialogue and interaction must replace any “hard approach” to ending regional challenges.

Shamkhani added that the Caucasus region is going through a “sensitive period”, and expressed hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan will be able to overcome the existing tensions through self-restraint and prudence.

He mentioned development of cooperation and interaction with neighbors as an unchanging principle of Iran’s foreign policy and a priority for the incumbent Iranian administration.

“[Maintaining] good-neighborly relations and making a joint endeavor for the settlement of the regional challenges through peaceful means are among the Islamic Republic’s most important pieces of advice to all [regional] parties,” Shamkhani added.