Iran ready to help resolve Nagorno-Karabakh issue diplomatically

The Iranian ambassador to Armenia has reiterated that the Islamic Republic is ready to help resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, which has dragged on since ethnic Armenian forces took control of the region during a war in the early 1990s, through diplomatic channels.
“If the countries involved in the dispute make a request, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to help resolve it peacefully,” Ambassador Mohammad Raeesi told the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency in an interview published on Monday.

Both Azerbaijan and Armenia claim the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is mainly populated by Armenians but located in Azerbaijan.

Iran had earlier extended an offer to mediate between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the dispute.

In April 2010, Manouchehr Mottaki, who was Iran’s foreign minister at the time, presented a proposal for a trilateral meeting with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts to attempt to resolve the dispute.