TEHRAN – In a telephone conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday, President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region is not a proper way and will only complicate the situation.

Rouhani said, “Our region cannot tolerate new instability and war.”

Pointing to the importance of peace, security and stability in the Caucasus, the Iranian president said, “Stability and security can set the bedrock for progress.”

The Iranian president added “ceasing clashes are important to us and we expect the two countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan” to “show restraint and act wisely” in settling the dispute.

The dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh should be resolved within international framework and protecting territorial integrity, Rouhani suggested.

Rouhani also warned if the war is not stopped foreigners will find a pretext to interfere and this will make the “clashes to last longer and complicate the situation.” 

The president said Iran is ready to help play “any constructive role” which would be acceptable by the two “friendly and brotherly neighbors” to put an end to the conflict.

“Our wish is an immediate halt of clashes and we should all seek to resolve the regional issues politically and through international regulations.”

For his part, the Armenian prime minister said any tensions or clashes will be detrimental to all regional countries and said his country welcomes any initiative for stopping the violence.

Prime Minister Pashinyan also expressed concern over any “foreign interference” in Armenia’s conflict with the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia entered a fourth day on Wednesday in the biggest eruption of the decades-old conflict since a 1994 ceasefire.

According to Al-Jazeera, Armenia said three civilians had been killed in Martakert, a town located in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, as a result of an Azeri attack, local news agency Armenpress reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Turkey’s “warlike” rhetoric was encouraging Azerbaijan to reconquer Nagorno-Karabakh.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed region inside Azerbaijan and controlled by ethnic Armenians. It broke away from Azerbaijan in a war in the 1990s but is not recognized by any country as an independent republic.
PA/MH