Secretary of Iran ’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani arrived in Armenia on Thursday as part of his Caucasian tour.
Shamkhani is scheduled to hold talks with his Armenian counterpart as well as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Bolstering and expansion of bilateral relations in various fields and cooperation to boost regional stability and security are top on the agenda of Shamkhani’s trip.
Upon his arrival in the Armenian capital Yerevan, Shamkhani stressed that Iran is against any action that would lead to a geopolitical change in the region.
He stated that his trip is in line with the administration of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s main foreign policy goal to expand and deepen relations with neighboring countries.
Shamkhani emphasized that Iran supports intra-regional cooperation to establish peace and stability in the region and tackle regional issues.
READ ALSO: Human Rights Watch and Lawyers urges Israel to stop torturing Palestinians
He expressed hope that the dispute between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan would be resolved and reconciliation efforts would lead to a lasting peace within the framework of preserving the territorial integrity of both countries.
The disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh has been a bone of contention between Yerevan and Baku.
They last fought a six-week war in 2020 that claimed more than 6,500 lives on both sides and ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire deal that left Azerbaijan largely in control of the territory.
According to a report, The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, who is on a one-day visit to Armenia, says regional states have to implement their capacities to restore lasting peace to the Caucasian region.
In a meeting with Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan on Thursday, Shamkhani highlighted the deep and long-standing historical and cultural relations between Iran and Armenia, saying the current conditions have provided the grounds for further strengthening and expansion of bilateral ties.
Shamkhani arrived in Armenia on Thursday morning as part of his Caucasian tour. Bolstering relations in various fields and cooperation to boost regional stability and security are top on the agenda for his trip.
Upon his arrival in the Armenian capital Yerevan, Shamkhani stressed that Iran is against any action that would lead to a geopolitical change in the region.
Grigoryan for this part praised Iran for its “active role in creating peace and stability in the region which is necessary in strengthening the stable security.”
The two sides also stressed expansion of ties in various fields, including in electricity supply to Armenia and facilitating a deal for the gas swap from Turkmenistan to Armenia.
Shamkhani is scheduled to hold talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan later in the day.
 Ali Shamkhani..){kind=link}