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What is Iran's position on Karabakh and Genocide: SUMMARY
Crucial developments took place in Iran-West relations in 2013: the
country elected a new president. Aysor.am asked Armen Israelyan, an
expert on Iran, to comment on Iran's position on developments in
political and economic relations of Iran and Armenia in the outgoing
year, as well as on the Nagorno Karabakh problem and the Armenian
Genocide.
`The political relations of Iran and Armenia are at a high level. One
of the priorities of Iran's foreign policy is to deepen relations with
Armenia - the only Christian neighboring country - at all levels,' the
expert told us, adding: `For its part, official Yerevan attaches
importance to the development of ties with Tehran. For this purpose
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan attended the inauguration of the
newly-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Besides, there have
been high-level mutual contacts this year between the speakers of the
parliaments of the two countries, foreign ministers and officials of
other state bodies. It is noteworthy that Iran and Armenia actively
cooperate in international organizations as well'.
When asked what stance Iran takes on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
Israelyan in particular said: `The interests of Armenia and Iran in
the region coincide. In the past 20 years Iran has implemented a
balanced policy on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, thanks to which the
conflict - contrary to Baku's wishes - didn't get a religious nuance.
As regards Tehran's stance, I should say that Iran believes that the
OSCE Minsk Group does not function efficiently so in recent period
Iran has offered its mediatory mission to the conflicting parties. By
the way, Iran was the first country to carry out a mediatory mission
in the Karabakh problem in 1992, which, however, failed following the
liberation of Shushi'.
The expert on Iran added: `Although Azerbaijan that lost the Artsakh
war accuses Iran of assisting Armenia, the fact is that, as Iranian
officials admit, Iran provided considerable military and financial
assistance to Azerbaijan during military operations.
Although the Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan, some deputies of the
Majlis and some clerics sometimes make statements contradicting
Tehran's official position, Iran states at the level of the country's
president and foreign minister that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
should be resolved through negotiations, with the participation of
regional countries, and based on the fundamental international
principles.
Speaking about the Armenian Genocide problem, Israelyan said that
there have been some changes in recent years in official Tehran's
position concerning the Armenian Genocide. For the first time in seven
years, the Iranian authorities allowed Iran's Armenian community to
stage a protest outside the Turkish embassy on April 24 of this year.
Unlike heads of many Christian countries, the founder of the Islamic
Republic of Iran Imam Khomeini condemned the Armenian Genocide, former
President Khatami visited the Genocide Victims Memorial during his
visit to Armenia, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also condemned the Genocide
twice during his term of office.
`It is unlikely that Tehran will officially recognize the Armenian
Genocide in the near future, but regional developments are taking
place with such rapidity that it is not ruled out that by 2015 - the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, there will be such a
situation in Turkish-Iranian relations that it will make Iran
introduce clarity into its position on the Genocide,' the expert
noted.
When discussing bilateral economic relations, Israelyan said that
bilateral trade has declined a bit this year due to the economic
sanctions against Iran and other objective reasons: bilateral trade
amounted to $222 million in nine months of 2013 as compared with $245
in the same period of 2012. He added that the year has not ended yet
and the figures will grow after the 2013 economic year is summed up -
in all likelihood the indices of last year will be recorded.
`The North-South Transport Corridor is under construction. The third
power transmission line will be put into operation soon. As for other
projects, it should be mentioned that construction of the Meghri
hydropower plant, the railway, and the oil pipeline are on the agenda
of the two countries' governments. In case of normalization of
Iran-West relations when sanctions on Iranian banking sector are
lifted, there will be progress in the implementation of these
projects,' the expert on Iran said.
Speaking about Iranian Armenians, A. Israelyan said that they are
considered a religious minority whose rights are stipulated in Iran's
Constitution. About 100 thousand Armenians currently live in Iran.
There are over two hundred Armenian churches in Iran. One of them,
Gharakilisa Monastery, has been included in UNESCO's World Heritage
List thanks to efforts of the Iranian authorities. There are also
plans to include Isfahan's St. Amenaprkich Church (Vank) in that list.
The Armenian Apostolic Church has three dioceses in Iran: Atrpatakan,
Tehran, and Isfahan Dioceses. Two deputies represent the interests of
the Iranian Armenians in the Majlis.
http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2013/12/27/armen-israyelyan/
Crucial developments took place in Iran-West relations in 2013: the
country elected a new president. Aysor.am asked Armen Israelyan, an
expert on Iran, to comment on Iran's position on developments in
political and economic relations of Iran and Armenia in the outgoing
year, as well as on the Nagorno Karabakh problem and the Armenian
Genocide.
`The political relations of Iran and Armenia are at a high level. One
of the priorities of Iran's foreign policy is to deepen relations with
Armenia - the only Christian neighboring country - at all levels,' the
expert told us, adding: `For its part, official Yerevan attaches
importance to the development of ties with Tehran. For this purpose
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan attended the inauguration of the
newly-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Besides, there have
been high-level mutual contacts this year between the speakers of the
parliaments of the two countries, foreign ministers and officials of
other state bodies. It is noteworthy that Iran and Armenia actively
cooperate in international organizations as well'.
When asked what stance Iran takes on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
Israelyan in particular said: `The interests of Armenia and Iran in
the region coincide. In the past 20 years Iran has implemented a
balanced policy on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, thanks to which the
conflict - contrary to Baku's wishes - didn't get a religious nuance.
As regards Tehran's stance, I should say that Iran believes that the
OSCE Minsk Group does not function efficiently so in recent period
Iran has offered its mediatory mission to the conflicting parties. By
the way, Iran was the first country to carry out a mediatory mission
in the Karabakh problem in 1992, which, however, failed following the
liberation of Shushi'.
The expert on Iran added: `Although Azerbaijan that lost the Artsakh
war accuses Iran of assisting Armenia, the fact is that, as Iranian
officials admit, Iran provided considerable military and financial
assistance to Azerbaijan during military operations.
Although the Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan, some deputies of the
Majlis and some clerics sometimes make statements contradicting
Tehran's official position, Iran states at the level of the country's
president and foreign minister that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
should be resolved through negotiations, with the participation of
regional countries, and based on the fundamental international
principles.
Speaking about the Armenian Genocide problem, Israelyan said that
there have been some changes in recent years in official Tehran's
position concerning the Armenian Genocide. For the first time in seven
years, the Iranian authorities allowed Iran's Armenian community to
stage a protest outside the Turkish embassy on April 24 of this year.
Unlike heads of many Christian countries, the founder of the Islamic
Republic of Iran Imam Khomeini condemned the Armenian Genocide, former
President Khatami visited the Genocide Victims Memorial during his
visit to Armenia, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also condemned the Genocide
twice during his term of office.
`It is unlikely that Tehran will officially recognize the Armenian
Genocide in the near future, but regional developments are taking
place with such rapidity that it is not ruled out that by 2015 - the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, there will be such a
situation in Turkish-Iranian relations that it will make Iran
introduce clarity into its position on the Genocide,' the expert
noted.
When discussing bilateral economic relations, Israelyan said that
bilateral trade has declined a bit this year due to the economic
sanctions against Iran and other objective reasons: bilateral trade
amounted to $222 million in nine months of 2013 as compared with $245
in the same period of 2012. He added that the year has not ended yet
and the figures will grow after the 2013 economic year is summed up -
in all likelihood the indices of last year will be recorded.
`The North-South Transport Corridor is under construction. The third
power transmission line will be put into operation soon. As for other
projects, it should be mentioned that construction of the Meghri
hydropower plant, the railway, and the oil pipeline are on the agenda
of the two countries' governments. In case of normalization of
Iran-West relations when sanctions on Iranian banking sector are
lifted, there will be progress in the implementation of these
projects,' the expert on Iran said.
Speaking about Iranian Armenians, A. Israelyan said that they are
considered a religious minority whose rights are stipulated in Iran's
Constitution. About 100 thousand Armenians currently live in Iran.
There are over two hundred Armenian churches in Iran. One of them,
Gharakilisa Monastery, has been included in UNESCO's World Heritage
List thanks to efforts of the Iranian authorities. There are also
plans to include Isfahan's St. Amenaprkich Church (Vank) in that list.
The Armenian Apostolic Church has three dioceses in Iran: Atrpatakan,
Tehran, and Isfahan Dioceses. Two deputies represent the interests of
the Iranian Armenians in the Majlis.
http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2013/12/27/armen-israyelyan/