Russia and Iran largely hold similar stance on unblocking connection routes in the South Caucasus - Zakharova

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated that Russia and Iran share largely similar approaches regarding the unblocking of transport communications in the South Caucasus.

According to Armenpress’ Moscow correspondent, during the weekly briefing Zakharova emphasized that it was fully confirmed by Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two countries signed in Moscow on January 17, 2025.

"According to this document, the parties contribute to strengthening peace and security in adjacent regions, including the South Caucasus, and cooperate to prevent destabilizing interference by the third parties," Zakharova said.

"The only difference is that Russia is a member of the trilateral working group, operating under the co-chairmanship of the deputy prime ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, to unblock economic and transport ties in the South Caucasus," she added.

 Zakharova also noted that a tremendous amount of work has been done within the group, not only on the legal framework but also on coordinating the technical parameters for restoring transport routes between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

According to the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, it was within the trilateral working group that an agreement was reached on the main principle of unblocking communications, which is that the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the respective states over these communications are maintained.

"This condition was accepted by both Baku and Yerevan. However, I must note that at the moment, the work is suspended due to the position of the Armenian side. We are ready to resume full cooperation within that group," Zakharova noted.

Earlier, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani stated that Iran is the only country in the region whose position aligns with Armenia’s stance on unblocking regional communications in the South Caucasus.