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2023 was a tense and complex yr for the South Caucasus area and its international locations with armed conflicts, losses… The Armenian-Azerbaijani battle, the settlement of relations between Yerevan and Baku, Iran, Russia remained within the highlight of the worldwide group this yr. Many statements about peace had been additionally made.
In an interview with Panorama.am, Iran specialist Vardan Voskanyan, head of the Iranian Research Division of the College of Oriental Research at Yerevan State College (YSU), summed up the outgoing yr, claiming delusions about “lasting peace” within the South Caucasus will likely be dispelled in 2024.
Panorama.am: What was 2023 like for Armenian-Iranian relations? Who’s in charge for the failure to totally make the most of the present potential in bilateral relations? What expectations ought to we now have for 2024 and what’s the cause for the occasional warming of relations between Azerbaijan and Iran?
Vardan Voskanyan: It was a reasonably tough yr for each Armenia and Iran. The yr 2023 was powerful for us particularly: we witnessed an entire occupation of Artsakh by the barbaric regime of Baku, genocide towards its indigenous Armenian inhabitants and ethnic cleaning. As for Iran, it’s price noting the strengthening of the positions of the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem within the area, in addition to the continuing Palestinian-Israeli battle within the Gaza Strip. The yr was powerful for each states [Armenia and Iran], stuffed with losses for Armenia. I believe that these losses ought to wake us up, in order that we will bounce again as rapidly as potential and try for the re-liberation of the occupied territories.
In actual fact, in an effort to perceive the prospects of Armenian-Iranian relations, we should clearly outline the imaginative and prescient of the Armenia state, i.e. what sort of state we search to construct. Clearly, there are two hostile forces within the area that, actually, have fashioned frequent geopolitical and expansionist aspirations. It’s concerning the Aliyev and Erdogan regimes. On the similar time, Armenia has two pleasant neighbors: Georgia and Iran. It’s fairly clear that Armenia has no likelihood to normalize relations with the enemy tandem: just a few months in the past, the barbaric Baku regime dedicated genocidal towards the Artsakh Armenians. And, by the way, it isn’t going to take any actions aimed on the withdrawal of its bashibozuks from the occupied territories of Armenia. Subsequently, the agenda of Armenian-Iranian relations needs to be formed primarily based on the imaginative and prescient of the state of Armenia. It ought to indicate the formation of a North-South axis and the work with Iran ought to give attention to it.
There are applications which might be essential not solely by way of financial system, but in addition safety and geopolitics. It considerations the transportation hub connecting the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea, in addition to the difficulty of Armenia’s involvement within the North-South mission, which is essential for us.
Panorama.am: Which sphere of the Armenian-Iranian cooperation have the best potential? And the way would you assess the present stage of Armenian-Iranian relations?
Vardan Voskanyan: The potential of Armenian-Iranian relations is extraordinarily nice, I’d say colossal. Sadly, we now have been speaking about it for years, however we don’t notice a minimum of the overwhelming a part of this potential. Naturally, particularly within the interval after the 44-day struggle, Iran performs a key position in deterring the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem. Subsequently, protection cooperation has gained particular relevance in Armenian-Iranian relations. Failure to make the most of this potential needs to be considered an unjustified waste a minimum of in our public discourse.
Panorama.am: Now we’re witnessing some optimistic dynamics in Iranian-Azerbaijani relations, if not warming. What processes are going down now in relations between the 2 international locations and what can they result in?
Vardan Voskanyan: The issues in Iran-Azerbaijan relations are so various and profound that there’s basically no resolution to most of them. It’s apparent that the substitute entity referred to as Azerbaijan and its id have been anchored on anti-Armenianism on the one hand and anti-Iranism on the opposite. Subsequently, any thaw in Azerbaijani-Iranian relations will result in the rejection of Azerbaijan’s id, which is not possible.
Issues do exist, however the Iranian aspect, in addition to the barbaric Baku regime clearly wish to handle the present dangers. Azerbaijan is making an attempt to make use of relations with Iran to place stress on Armenia.
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