Top Russian security official: Moscow committed to agreements with Iran on Zangezur corridor
Russia's security council secretary has reiterated Moscow’s "definite and firm policy" on the Zangezur corridor, stressing that his country adheres to the agreements with Tehran regarding the proposed transport corridor.
Sergei Shoigu made the remarks in a meeting with Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Akbar Ahmadian in the port city of St. Petersburg on Tuesday.
Ahmadian is in Russia to take part in a meeting of security officials of the BRICS group of countries.
"Moscow is committed to previous agreements with Tehran regarding Zangezur and Russian policy has not changed in this regard," he said.
In his remarks, the top Russian security official further noted that “Moscow supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran” regarding the three Iranian islands of Abu Musa, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs in the Persian Gulf.
Ahmadian, for his part, emphasized Iran's readiness to increase cooperation with Russia in all fields, especially in the economic field.
The latest development comes as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's recent remarks expressing support for Azerbaijan's demand to get unimpeded access to its Nakhchivan exclave by opening the Zangezur transport corridor through Armenia have drawn criticism in Iran.
Baku wants Russia to monitor and control the corridor, but Yerevan and Tehran are opposed to such a scheme.
Iran's foreign minister has described any threats to the territorial integrity of neighboring countries or redrawing of boundaries as a red line for the Islamic Republic.
The so-called Zangezur corridor aims to connect the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan, bordering Turkey, to mainland Azerbaijan through the southern Armenian province of Syunik. Armenia opposes the plans on the grounds that it would violate its sovereignty.
Iran has in the past opposed the plan on the grounds that it would cut off the transport routes connecting its territories to Armenia.
Since Armenia and Azerbaijan maintain a mutual traffic blockade due to long-running tensions, Baku's connection with Nakhchivan for decades has been Iran, and the connection with Turkey has been Georgia.
The two countries have different views on the concept of the corridor, its definition, the existence of control points and the nationality of the guards who would control those points.
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