Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is very important for Iran
Why is Armenia important for Iran? According to YSU professor, politician Davit Hovhannisyan, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict benefits Iran because it doesn't allow the two Turkish states to unite, which in turn will lead to the sharp decline of Iran's role and influence in the region.
Iran is concerned over which peacekeeping forces will be allocated in the region in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement-NATO, Russian or European.
According to Hovhannisyan, Russian-Armenian relations are very important for Iran because Armenia acts as a bridge in Russian-Iranian relations. Davit Hovhannisyan also expressed hope that Armenia's role in becoming a bridge for civilizations becomes rather large.
How important is Iran for Armenia?
"Iran is an extremely significant alternative for resources," says Davit Hovhannisyan. He believes that relations with Iran must develop to the point where Iran turns into one of the main centers for resources.
Director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies Richard Kirakosian underlined that in many cases, Iranian-Armenian relations are conditioned by third countries, particularly Russia's interests. He recalled the construction of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline during which the gas pipeline caliber was much lower than expected due to Russia's pressure.
The other factor that has an impact on Iranian-Armenian relations is the positions of Europe and America and their policy on Iran. However, according to Richard Kirakosian, the Iranian-Armenian border is as important as the Turkish-Armenian one.
Davit Hovhannisyan noted that there might come a time when the Iranian border will be necessary for solving issues in the case of such a situation and that possibility should not be excluded.
In this regard, the speakers attached importance to improvement of relations with Iran. Expert Manvel Sargsyan noted that relations have been going at the same pace as they have for the past 18 years. According to him, relations were more cordial during the early 90s, but he doesn't see any trend for improvement today.
