Mubariz Ahmedoghlu: "In case hostilities in Nagorno Karabakh are launched, Iran will anyway support Armenia, not Azerbaijan"

- How would you comment on the announcement of spokesman for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Khazar Ibrahim that if Iran sends correct messages to Armenia, it will contribute to resolution of the Karabakh conflict?

- First of all, it is necessary to understand how prospects of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations development are assessed in Armenia. They consider that Iran declares interest in the strengthening and development of our country only verbally, not wishing it and restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in reality. Such spirits of official Yerevan are transformed into the agreement they voice on the mediatory mission of Iran in the negotiation process on the resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijan is also aware of the current quo status. Therefore, Khazar Ibrahim's words, who declared in open that Azerbaijan is ready to hear definite mediatory initiatives of Iran on the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, were not surprising. Naturally, Iran's all initiatives should base on recognition of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, which will allow Armenia to understand the vanity and erroneousness of its stake on Iran.

This will allow us to demonstrate readiness for cooperation with any countries, which propose their mediatory mission in the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, gives another chance to declare priority of right for territorial integrity of the states over the right of nations for self-determination, create conditions for the visual demonstration to Armenia that their stake on Iran has not been justified.

- Meanwhile, proposals of the need to involve Iran as one of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are becoming frequent. How do you assess these initiatives?

- They are unreal, as Iran is not the OSCE member-state and can not co-chair the OSCE Minsk Group. However, Iran may propose definite mediatory initiatives on the ways of resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. But it seems to me that here the Minsk Group will not allow Iran to propose too many initiatives.

- How sincere is Armenia in its voiced agreement with mediatory mission of Iran on the negotiation process on the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict?

- This is an urgent issue to answer to which it would be enough to look through our recent history. I mean the events of May, 1992, when the then-president of Armenian Levon Ter-Petrosyan and acting President of Azerbaijan Yaqub Mamedov left for Tehran for talks on the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The then working Iranian authorities, who undertook the mission of mediators, assured the Azerbaijani leadership of that Armenia will not launch any hostilities, but even before the completion of talks Armenians attacked Shusha and occupied this "pearl of Azerbaijan". As is seen, Armenians by Russia's help caused significant damage on Iran's image in the eyes of Azerbaijan and prevented conduction of Iranian mediatory initiatives, whose implementation could result in sharp rise of Iranian influence in the region.

Armenia's actions are a more eloquent answer to the question on sincerity of official Yerevan in the issue of approval of the mediatory mission of Iran in the negotiation process on the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

/Day.Az/