Iran will not allow breaking regional peace: Ambassador

YEREVAN, March 13. /ARKA/. The Islamic Republic of Iran is the bastion of peace in the region and will not allow breaking it, Tehran’s ambassador to Armenia, said today. Speaking at a conference dedicated to 20 years of relations between Armenia and Iran, ambassador Seyed Ali Saghayan said Iran has always been by the side of its neighbors and since its inception sought to establish strong relations with them considering it a priority of its foreign policy. According to him, the presence of third countries in such a sensitive region as the South Caucasus, steps up arms race.

"I believe that third countries should instead direct their resources for strengthening and developing the region’s infrastructure," he said, adding that the arms race in the region is fraught with negative consequences.

On Iran's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the ambassador stressed that the IRI supports any peaceful initiative of the parties to the conflict and sees no alternative to a peaceful resolution. He said Iran was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of the Republic of Armenia.

"Armenia is not a foreign country to us, considering the fact that Armenians have been living in Iran for thousands of years and are part and parcel of our society. The Iranians and Armenians live in peace, and their peaceful co-existence may serve as a model of peaceful coexistence for other nations, cultures and customs. Over the last 20 years our diplomatic relations has demonstrated dynamic growth, and most importantly our success is that we were able to maintain stability and peace in the region," he added.

The ambassador described allegations that Iran is developing nuclear weapons as a blatant lie.

The conference was organized by the embassy’s Centre of Culture in Armenia and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences. The event was attended by representatives of the two countries, diplomats, politicians and researchers. -0-