Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (FNA)- Tehran hopes that Azerbaijan and Armenia will express their opinion soon about Iran’s proposals on mediation in the resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a senior Iranian diplomat said.
“There are certain processes going on in this region. As Iran is one of the countries in the region, naturally, Iran and other neighboring countries are interested in finding ways out of the situation. Therefore, Iran proposed to mediate between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the resolution of the conflict. Iran has held discussion on the issue with both parties to the conflict,” Naser Hamidi Zare, Iran’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan told trend news.
Armenia has occupied 20% of Azerbaijan’s lands including Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding seven regions. The occupation began in 1988. Azerbaijan lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except for Shusha and Khojali, in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and Nagorno-Karabakh’s seven surrounding regions.
In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement which brought hostilities to an end. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful, but fruitless negotiations.
Zare said Iran is willing to make every effort to normalize relations among the countries in the region.
“We want conditions to be created for changes in the peace and security plan which would suit interests of the people in the region. Every country with certain potential wants to do its best to achieve these goals. Tehran wants to take steps in this direction. Iran intends to do its best to establish mutual relations among countries in the region so that they will find a common ground,” he said.
