TEHRAN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- A top Iranian military official said his country is ready to send observers to border areas between Armenia and Azerbaijan and contribute to de-escalating tensions in the Caucasus region, the official news agency IRNA reported Wednesday.
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Baqeri made this statement during a meeting with Secretary of Armenia's Security Council Armen Grigoryan in the Iranian capital of Tehran.
Baqeri emphasized the need to reduce differences and tensions in the region, noting that the South Caucasus' security situation affects the entire region.
He also stressed that enhancing defense capabilities should not be driven by aggression and that regional peace benefits all nations.
Baqeri noted that regional security should be the responsibility of the countries in the region and that the presence of transregional troops is "in contradiction with regional peace."
The Iranian general also criticized the involvement of new and transregional players in the region, citing a recent joint military exercise involving the U.S. troops and Armenian forces in Armenia.
According to a statement released by Armenia's Security Council, Grigoryan provided the Iranian side with an overview of the security condition in the region.
Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan have flared up since Azerbaijan's military offensive and takeover of the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh on Sept. 19, resulting in the displacement of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians from the region.
On Sept. 27, Samvel Shahramanyan, the president of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, signed a decree dissolving all state institutions, effective from Jan. 1, 2024. This move was seen as a concession to Azerbaijan, which had long demanded the dissolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, since 1988. ■
