Azernews.Az

BAKU – Iranian Ambassador in Baku Mahammad Bagir Bahrami has said Tehran supports a fair settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Karabakh conflict within Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

He was commenting on the statements that Iran’s close economic relations with Armenia are not contributing to a solution of the long-standing dispute.

The ambassador said Iran condemns any policy of occupation.

"Keep in mind that we maintain ties with Armenia only as a neighbor. Iran maintains normal relations with all of its neighbors."

Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a war in the early 1990s, which claimed some 30,000 lives and displaced about one million Azerbaijanis. Armenia has been occupying over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory since then. Peace talks have largely accomplished no result so far.

Bahrami said his country deems as pivotal the regional countries’ mediation in Karabakh settlement.

"It is very disappointing that the mediating activity of the countries outside the region within the OSCE Minsk Group over 16 to 17 years has yielded no fruit. The regional states could act in concert and do this on their own. Iran has made its [mediation] proposal and we hope it will be accepted. I would like to thank the Azerbaijani government for its consent."

Iranian leaders have said Armenia has not yet responded to Tehran’s initiative to broker peace talks.

Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarksyan left for Tehran for talks on ways of expanding relations between the two countries. During the two-day visit that started on Monday, Sarksyan is expected to meet with President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported.