TEHRAN- In a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian underlined Tehran’s opposition to any alteration of regional boundaries.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is opposed to any change in regional geopolitics and boundaries," Amir Abdollahian said.

Amir Abdollahian also expressed Iran's objection to the deployment of foreign troops in the region by stating that the region's inherent mechanisms must be used to resolve the ongoing conflicts. 

"Regional problems must be addressed by regional nations," he suggested.
 
According to him, Tehran backs the 3+3 mechanism for regional cooperation, which brings together the three South Caucasus nations of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan as well as Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

His comments were made against the backdrop of a simmering and occasionally fatal dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh territory between Armenia and its neighbor Azerbaijan. 

Although Nagorno-Karabakh is universally recognized to be part of Azerbaijan, ethnic Armenians have long inhabited there.

A recent escalation in the neighborhood's simmering tensions last month resulted in the deaths of over 100 troops on both sides. This was the most recent confrontation between the two south Caucasus countries since a 44-day war over the region that ended in November 2020 and claimed hundreds of lives. 

He declared that the Islamic Republic supported the building of a lasting peace between the two Caucasus neighbors and the settlement of their border disputes.

In other parts of his remarks, Amir Abdollahian emphasized the significance of strengthening ties between Iran and its neighbors, especially Armenia, as part of the Iranian government's efforts in foreign policy.

Iran's foreign minister highlighted the importance of resolving border disputes, stabilizing regional borders, and defending the territorial integrity of all countries in the region while expressing his nation's support for the establishment of a lasting peace between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In order to strengthen the friendly ties between the nations of the region, he further stressed the need to foster intraregional economic and cultural cooperation.

Amir Abdollahian also suggested that the North-South Transportation Corridor through Armenia must be promoted.

In his remarks, Amir Abdollahian praised the opening of Iran's consulate general in Kapan, a city in southern Armenia, on Friday as a means of enhancing bilateral connections, particularly in areas of trade, transportation, and transit. He also supported the idea of opening a general consulate for Armenia in Tabriz, a city in northwest Iran.

Iran's top diplomat noted that given the potential in the fields of trade, energy, and agriculture as well as the barter trade of electricity and gas, the two countries' current bilateral trade volume, which is $700 million, should be increased to $1 billion in the first stage and to $3 billion at later stages.