Iran Reaffirms Support for Armenia’s Territorial Integrity, Distances Itself from ECO Summit Statement

YEREVAN — Iran’s Ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, has stated that certain provisions in the communiqué adopted at the recent Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit — which include terms undermining the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia — do not reflect Iran’s official position.

In a written response to the ECO Secretariat, Iran expressed its reservations regarding the document, the ambassador told Armenpress.

According to Sobhani, the final statement represents only the views of the summit chair — namely, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev — and should not necessarily be interpreted as reflecting the collective stance of all participating countries.

“As we expressed our position on the declaration issued at the recent Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Istanbul, we similarly do not accept certain provisions of this communiqué, including fabricated concepts suggesting territorial claims against the Republic of Armenia,” he noted.

Ambassador Sobhani emphasized that such language contradicts the principled and longstanding position of the Islamic Republic of Iran toward Armenia — a neighboring and friendly country — and is not subject to confirmation or endorsement.

“Iran continues to support the peace negotiations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and stresses the importance of signing a peace treaty based on mutually agreed principles,” he added.

The 17th ECO summit was held on July 3–4 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh. The event brought together representatives from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. Following the summit, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a communiqué that included language echoing Baku’s narrative about the so-called “right of return” of Azerbaijanis to Armenian territory.