What’s at stake for Iran-Armenia ties as Araghchi visits Yerevan?
Iran is looking to bolster regional alliances amid Turkey’s rise in influence and remains opposed to the Zangezur Corridor plan, according to experts.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Armenia on Monday, a trip experts say will focus on shoring up bilateral ties, as both countries fear Turkey’s ascendance in the region, and on their opposition to the planned Zangezur trade corridor.
Araghchi was invited by his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan. The two will discuss bilateral relations as well as “developments in the Caucasus region,” the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
The meeting between Araghchi and Mirzoyan will take place on Tuesday. Araghchi will also give a presentation on his book entitled “Negotiations: The Power of Diplomacy” during the visit, Armenia’s official Armenpress reported. The book was released in January of this year.
The visit follows a phone call between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on March 16. The two discussed developments in the Caucasus, bilateral relations and the agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan to end their conflict, according to readouts from both sides.
