Azernews.Az

Iran may assist in a settlement of the long-standing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh that is brokered by US, Russian and French mediators, its ambassador in Baku has said.
Speaking to a news conference Thursday, Mahammad Bagir Bahrami also said the issue was discussed during Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov’s visit to Iran.
Bahrami said that though the OSCE Minsk Group, which is brokering the peace process, has been operating for eighteen years, it is either reluctant or unable to fulfill its duties.
"In any case, this important issue has not been resolved to date. Azerbaijani and Iranian officials have stated that the mediators are pursuing not a solution of the problem, but their own interests. A problem emerging in any given region can be solved by its countries through joint effort. Iran also wants the conflict to find a fair solution by availing of its potential, i.e. it wants for occupied Azerbaijani territories to be freed."
Elkhan Polukhov, the spokesman for the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry, says Tehran’s initiative to broker Garabagh peace talks comes as no surprise.
"There is nothing new here. Iran shares a border with Azerbaijan. As you know, Azerbaijan currently does not control a part of this border. And Iran would be interested in swiftly restoring peace and well-being in the region and Azerbaijan’s regaining control over those frontiers.
"On the other hand, Iran is a neighboring state with Azerbaijan and Armenia and would therefore be interested in quickly fostering progress in resolving this regional conflict. For this reason Iran is ready to give its support to this process," Polukhov said.
He emphasized that Tehran has substantial leverage of influence upon Yerevan to achieve a just solution to the Garabagh problem. "We hope that, using these mechanisms, we will be able to accomplish a settlement complying with international norms and standards."*