Iran reiterates commitment to maintaining peace in Caucasus

May 31, 2024 08:32

Tehran is committed to maintaining security and stability in the Caucasus, Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani said in a phone call with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan, Report informs referring to TASS.

"Iran [remains] committed to playing an effective role in maintaining security and stability in the Caucasus," a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry quoted Bagheri Kani as saying.

The top Iranian diplomat also said Tehran is ready to implement the agreements that were reached by the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who were killed in a recent helicopter crash. The politician thanked the Armenian leadership for their condolences on the death of the officials.

Bagheri Kani also said Iran is ready to help the victims of the recent devastating floods in Armenia, where the rivers Debed and Aghstev overflew their banks following heavy rains. In the Lori Region, three people were killed by the disaster and the houses of hundreds of residents were flooded.

The Iranian statement noted that Mirzoyan "described Iran's role in strengthening peace in the South Caucasus as important." The Armenian foreign minister also "expressed satisfaction over cooperation with Iran in the implementation of Armenia's infrastructure projects, including the Karajan-Agarak road," which is a section of the International North-South Transport Corridor.

On May 22, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Ararat Mirzoyan attended the farewell ceremony for Raisi and Abdollahian in Tehran. Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Pashinyan. During the talks, the Armenian prime minister expressed confidence that under Khamenei's leadership there will be disruptions in the governance of Iran. The Armenian prime minister was the only representative of a country outside of the Middle East to be received that day by Khamenei.

On May 19, a helicopter carrying the Iranian president crashed in Iran’s Eastern Azerbaijan Province. Raisi was accompanied by the country’s foreign minister and some other officials. All passengers and crew members were killed in the crash.