Yesterday's tripartite meeting in Sochi was followed by RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's visit to Iran. According to regional issues expert Armen Petrosyan, that visit is not coincidental.
In a conversation with Radar Armenia, Petrosyan said that unlike the tripartite meeting in Sochi, which was organized very quickly, the RA Prime Minister's visit to Iran was planned earlier. According to him, it was discussed during the last meetings of the two countries leaders. "The visit of the RA Prime Minister was planned, and this is documented by the documents being prepared, the memoranda to be signed, but, of course, common lines can be drawn between the regional tension and Iran's activity in the processes going on in the region and around Armenia."
To the question: What role can Iran play in regional developments, and how can Armenia take advantage of the Iranian factor in this matter, the expert answered: "Iran plays a vital role in the region, and it has moved to a completely different tangible level after the autumn war of 2020, due to taking into account its consequences for Iran and the changed power balance in the region."
According to Petrosyan, Iran's role in that context is particularly important due to our active efforts to restore our lost positions. "These efforts are noticeable, on the one hand, to present the security issues related to Armenia with their agenda, and more globally, with active political steps aimed at restraining the role of several extra-regional players (including Western actors and Israel) in the region arising from the Turkish factor."
The expert noted that Iran actively conducts multilateral diplomacy with Armenia and Azerbaijan to achieve these goals. "For example, it implements various economic projects with Azerbaijan, as well as with Armenia, in particular, the opening of the consulate in Kapan, which directly emphasizes Iran's vital interests in Syunik."
According to him, all this is combined with active Iranian propaganda, often carried out with military maneuvers and exercises in the northwestern regions of Iran. "Iran's policy provides an opportunity to create a reliable maneuver in this difficult situation for Armenia."
Hayk Magoyan
