TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Manoucheher Mottaki said on Friday that Tehran is ready to mediate between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan over settling the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

“We talked to the Armenian foreign minister about Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and in the last days we also talked to the foreign minister of Azerbaijan in the framework of the ECO meeting,” Mottaki told reporters in joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandyan in Yerevan.
Iran hosted the ECO summit on Wednesday in which Azerbaijan as a member states was present.
“It has been the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran that this conflict to be resolved peacefully and the Islamic Republic of Iran declares its readiness to help the process of establishing peace and security.”
He said Iran’s “Caucasus diplomacy” in establishing dialogue with the concerned parties has provided a diplomatic approach toward settling the conflict.
Nalbandyan also said his country considers peace and stability in the Caucasus region very important which he said will directly affect economic development and the welfare of people.
The Armenian minster also said, “We consider the Islamic Republic of Iran’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue to be a moderate and constructive one.”
Also Armenian President Serzh Azati Sargsyan, in a separate meeting with Mottaki, said that Yerevan needs Iran’s assistance over a Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.
Sargsyan said Iran plays important role in the Middle East and the Caucasus.
He expressed hope that bilateral ties will increase considerabley, adding that Armenia’s ultimate goal is to connect the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea.
Mottaki said Tehran-Yerevan relations have been increasing under the leadership of the two countries’ presidents.
He also said that Tehran spares no efforts to help settle thorny issues in the Caucasus region