TEHRAN- Diplomacy and conversation are the greatest ways to settle international crises, according to the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).

Ali Akbar Ahmadian made the comment during a phone call with Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan on Monday.

Ahmadian also said that Iran firmly backs the consolidation of enduring peace in the Caucasus region.

The security officials of Armenia and Iran also talked about a series of issues ranging from economic connections to issues of common concern, including events in the region.

Grigoryan congratulated Ahmadian on his new job and wished him luck, hoping that it would be beneficial to the friendly people of Iran.

Brigadier General Ahmadian was named the new secretary of the SNSC by President Ebrahim Raisi in May.

In a meeting in Tehran last month Raisi told Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan that Iran respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all neighboring nations and vehemently opposes any geopolitical shift in the region.

“Any foreign intervention will only complicate issues. The Islamic Republic of Iran supports the peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan and hopes that these talks will help establish and strengthen peace and security in the region as much as possible,” Raisi pointed out.

The Iranian president also emphasized the value of strengthening ties with Armenia and declared that nothing could stop the development of ties.

Back in June during a meeting with Igor Levitin, the State Council Secretary of Russia, who had visited Tehran, Ahmadian called for a rapid implementation of the agreements struck between Iran and Russia in a number of commercial and financial spheres.

At the meeting, Ahmadian emphasized that President Raisi’s government places a high priority on strengthening ties with neighbors, especially Russia.

The Iranian government, he continued, likewise prioritizes regional projects as well as bilateral and multilateral collaboration as a successful strategy for protecting the national interests of the two countries.

The SNSC chief continued by talking about international developments and how they affect geopolitical and geostrategic calculations, stating that under these conditions both countries must operationalize all the North-South Transit Corridor routes as soon as possible, including the western branch, the sea route, and the eastern branch.

The senior official indicated that one of Iran’s top goals in its relations with Russia is to expedite the implementation of the projects that have been agreed upon, including the completion of the North-South corridor and the memorandums of understanding in the oil and gas industries.

Ahmadian also praised the agreement on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway as a “giant step”, saying it is a strategic transport corridor connecting the two countries’ existing railways through the Republic of Azerbaijan.