Talks on Yerevan-Baku peace process held in Iran

The top diplomats of five countries met on Monday in Tehran to hold talks on the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The meeting brought together the two Caucasian countries' foreign ministers for the first time since Azerbaijan's military takeover of the Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in a lightning offensive last month.

The meeting hosted by Iran was attended by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

"A historic opportunity is available to all countries in the region. The war in South Caucasus has ended, and it is time for peace and cooperation," Amirabdollahian said in a televised statement.

"The presence of outsiders in the region will not only not solve any problems but will also complicate the situation further," he added, without elaborating.

Fidan in the meeting expressed "content for the elimination of obstacles to regional cooperation and friendly relations," and "stressed that the opening of regional transport routes will accelerate normalization and peace processes," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on social media.

Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash before the meeting expressed disapproval of the opening of "Zangezur Corridor."

Armenia's Zangezur region, located in the Syunik Province, is referred to as the "Zangezur Corridor" by Turkey and Azerbaijan, who attribute strategic importance to the region as it links Azerbaijani territory to the Nakhchivan Autonomus Republic, bordered on the west by Turkey.

Photo: Foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkey attend regional peace summit in Tehran on 23 October 2023 (Reuters)