Iran opposes any geopolitical change in region: Shamkhani in Armenia

Iran’s top security official has stressed the importance of establishing peace and stability in the region through intra-regional cooperation, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic opposes any move that changes regional geopolitics.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani made the remarks on Thursday upon his arrival in Yerevan to hold key talks with senior Armenian officials about mutual relations and regional and international issues.

He added that Iran’s principled policy is focused on the expansion of relations with regional and neighboring states, noting that his visit to Armenia is taking place within the framework of such a policy.

The SNSC secretary renewed Tehran’s support for a 3+3 format cooperation mechanism comprised of the three South Caucasus countries, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan plus Russia, Turkey and Iran.

Shamkhani expressed hope that the talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the basis of preserving the two countries’ territorial integrity would lead to sustainable peace.

'Iran ready to use capacities to establish lasting peace in South Caucasus'

In a meeting with Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen V. Grigoryan, the top Iranian security official said as in the past, Tehran is ready to use its capacities and potential to help establish lasting peace in the South Caucasus region.

Pointing to deep-rooted ties between the Iranian and Armenian nations, even during hard regional and international conditions, Shamkhani added that no restrictions should prevent the two countries from expanding relations.

He said, however, that trade exchanges between Iran and Armenia are not consistent with the two countries’ capacities, calling for the activation of such potentialities.

Grigoryan, for his part, said Iran plays an important role in the expansion of relations among the South Caucasus countries and ensure regional security.

He added that Tehran and Yerevan enjoy great capacities to improve relations in the economic and security sectors, and  that the two sides should make more efforts to activate their potential.

Heading a delegation, Iran’s top security official arrived in Yerevan on Thursday at the invitation of Grigoryan.

Shamkhani is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The sides will discuss the development of mutual relations in different fields and bilateral cooperation on ways to improve stability and security in the region as well as major regional and international issues.

Following the visit, Shamkhani will travel to some other countries in the Caucasus region.

Raeisi: Regional states must cooperate to prevent Israeli intrusion

Iran’s President Raeisi says regional nations must prevent the Israeli regime from intruding into the region.

In a phone call with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan last month, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi warned against Israel’s plot to infiltrate into the region, urging regional nations to remain fully cautious in the face of the Tel Aviv regimes attempts to gain a foothold there.

Raeisi said the Zionist regime is by no means a friend of the regional nations, adding that it has committed "unprecedented" acts of oppression against the Palestinian people.

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