TEHRAN, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Friday Tehran welcomes the agreement reached by Armenia and Azerbaijan on the terms of a peace treaty between the two countries.
He made the remarks in a statement released by the ministry one day after Armenia and Azerbaijan announced that they had agreed to a peace agreement that would put an end to decades of conflict between the two neighbors.
Baghaei described the development as a "necessary and important step" towards the establishment of a lasting peace in the South Caucasus region.
He expressed hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan would soon finalize the peace agreement, paving the way for lasting peace and stability in the region. He emphasized the importance of ongoing diplomatic efforts and dialogue in resolving their differences.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that negotiations on the text of the draft Agreement on Peace and the Establishment of Interstate Relations with Armenia have been concluded. The Armenian Foreign Ministry also said in a statement that the peace agreement is "ready for signing."
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region since 1988. Peace talks have been going on since 1994 when a ceasefire was agreed on, despite sporadic clashes since then. ■
