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IRAN'S KARABAKH MEDIATION MISSION AND LIBERATION OF SHOUSHI: ANALYSIS BY IRANIAN STUDIES EXPERT
12:22 09/05/2013 " ANALYSIS
By Armen Israyelyan, Iranian studies expert
Iran was the first country to be a mediator in the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. At the invitation of Iranian President Akbar Hashemi
Rafsanjani, a delegation led by first Armenian President Levon
Ter-Petrosyan arrived in Tehran on May 6, 1992. Among other issues,
the sides discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Some time after
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati's visit to Yerevan, Iranian
Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Vayezi arrived in Azerbaijan and Armenia
to persuade the sides to reach an agreement on concluding a truce.
On May 8, 1992 Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Azerbaijani
acting President Yaqub Mammadov and President of the mediator country,
Iran, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, signed a joint declaration on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, according to which Mahmud Vayezi was to
visit the region (Baku, Yerevan, Stepanakert) to work out mechanisms
for truce.
On May 8, the day when the joint declaration was signed, Shoushi
was liberated by Armenian forces, and Iran's mediation mission was
interrupted.
Although Iran's mediation mission was interrupted by Shoushi's
liberation, in the following years, as an authoritative member
of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Iran has carried out a
balanced policy towards the Karabakh issue, which creates a precedent
for a number of Islamic countries not to give way to Azerbaijan's
provocations aimed at giving a religious coloring to the Karabakh
conflict, and to have a neutral position on Karabakh. Iran believes
that the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group are inefficient and
therefore it offers mediation to the conflicting parties.
Although Azerbaijan blames Iran for its defeat in the Karabakh war
saying that Iran supported Armenia during the war, indeed, Iranian
officials acknowledge that Iran provided military and financial
assistance to Azerbaijan during the war.
Although Iran's ambassador to Azerbaijan, some members of the Iranian
Majlis and clerics sometimes make statements that run counter to
Tehran's position, Iran's President and Foreign Minister announce
that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved through
negotiations, with the involvement of the regional countries, based
on the fundamental principles of international law.
Source: Panorama.am
12:22 09/05/2013 " ANALYSIS
By Armen Israyelyan, Iranian studies expert
Iran was the first country to be a mediator in the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. At the invitation of Iranian President Akbar Hashemi
Rafsanjani, a delegation led by first Armenian President Levon
Ter-Petrosyan arrived in Tehran on May 6, 1992. Among other issues,
the sides discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Some time after
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati's visit to Yerevan, Iranian
Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Vayezi arrived in Azerbaijan and Armenia
to persuade the sides to reach an agreement on concluding a truce.
On May 8, 1992 Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Azerbaijani
acting President Yaqub Mammadov and President of the mediator country,
Iran, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, signed a joint declaration on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, according to which Mahmud Vayezi was to
visit the region (Baku, Yerevan, Stepanakert) to work out mechanisms
for truce.
On May 8, the day when the joint declaration was signed, Shoushi
was liberated by Armenian forces, and Iran's mediation mission was
interrupted.
Although Iran's mediation mission was interrupted by Shoushi's
liberation, in the following years, as an authoritative member
of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Iran has carried out a
balanced policy towards the Karabakh issue, which creates a precedent
for a number of Islamic countries not to give way to Azerbaijan's
provocations aimed at giving a religious coloring to the Karabakh
conflict, and to have a neutral position on Karabakh. Iran believes
that the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group are inefficient and
therefore it offers mediation to the conflicting parties.
Although Azerbaijan blames Iran for its defeat in the Karabakh war
saying that Iran supported Armenia during the war, indeed, Iranian
officials acknowledge that Iran provided military and financial
assistance to Azerbaijan during the war.
Although Iran's ambassador to Azerbaijan, some members of the Iranian
Majlis and clerics sometimes make statements that run counter to
Tehran's position, Iran's President and Foreign Minister announce
that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved through
negotiations, with the involvement of the regional countries, based
on the fundamental principles of international law.
Source: Panorama.am