Iranian Ambassador considers diversion as provocation from outside
Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Seyed Ali Saghaeyan labeled the recent incident at the contact line of the Karabakh and Azeri armed forces as a ‘provocation from outside though under "outside forces" he does not mean some other country or force.
"I rather mean all outside factors contributing to the act of sabotage. If the region were integrated and the conflicts were settled within the frameworks of regional countries similar confrontations could be avoided," the ambassador said during a news conference in Yerevan on June 23.
Seyed Ali Saghaeyan extended condolences to the families of the killed servicemen and excluded resumption of hostilities.
Official Tehran has always backed peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict," the ambassador said. Saghaeyan also noted that Iran can contribute to the resolution of Karabakh conflict, given Tehran's close contacts with all countries of the region.
Touching on possibility of deploying international peacekeepers in Karabakh conflict zone, the diplomat emphasized that ‘Iran would foil U.S. plans if it stationed a base in Fizuli'.
As to religious coloring Azerbaijan tries to attach to the conflict, he said that Iran always opposed to it in the framework of the Organization of Islamic Conference.
Commenting on the UN Security Council resolution to impose new sanctions on Iran, he said that ‘such sanctions would not be used. But if they are used, they will not restrict Iran's development and its peaceful nuclear program
Though sanctions are admissible they are not mandatory," he said.
The ambassador noted that Armenian-Iranian economic ties continue developing with commodity circulation growing by 40 % at the beginning of 2010. A hydroelectric power station is planned to be built in the region. More than 100 Iranian businessmen have arrived in Armenia this year.
