Nasser Kanaani, the press spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, stated in a briefing that the way to solve the problems of the Caucasus goes through the capitals of the countries of the region, and not by turning to extra-regional forces.

As the Mehr agency writes, he said this at the time of ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani tensions.

“The Islamic Republic has always emphasized the need for neighbors to respect each other’s territorial integrity”, the spokesman said.

Iran condemns the “occupation of Azerbaijani territories” (quotes: ed.) and supports the peaceful resolution of the dispute between the Caucasian countries in accordance with international law, Kanaani said.

The Islamic Republic, he added, once again declares its readiness to help solve the existing problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia in various formats, including bilateral, and tripartite, as well as the “3+3” cooperation mechanism, in which Armenia is represented. Georgia and Azerbaijan plus Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

The Iranian official also pointed to the statements made yesterday by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, through which he expressed dissatisfaction with the recent meetings between Iranian and Armenian officials, accusing Tehran of providing too much support to Yerevan.

“Our principled policy is based on neighborliness and expanding relations with all neighbors,” Kanaani said, noting that Iran never strengthens its ties with one neighbor to the detriment of another.

The spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry said that the recent military exercises along Iran’s borders with Armenia and Azerbaijan were a routine and pre-planned step, which the interested neighbors were informed about through official channels earlier.