Iran says Karabakh conflict has no military solution

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Nagorno Karabakh conflict has no military solution, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday, December 21 in Armenia.

Rouhani arrived in Yerevan Wednesday and was greeted by President Serzh Sargsyan. A meeting at the Presidential Palace followed after the welcoming ceremony at Zvartnots international airport.

"Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are friendly nations for Iran, and we hope to witness the establishment of peace and security in the region," Rouhani said after the meeting.

"The conflict has no military solution, we expect a peaceful settlement."

Sargsyan said he briefed the President of the Islamic Republic on the efforts made by the OSCE Minsk Group to resolve the issue.

"We are grateful to Iran for its balanced position," Sargsyan said.

Also Wednesday, the leaders agreed to cooperate for the further development of bilateral ties.

Sargsyan said he is hopeful that Rouhani's first official visit as President of the Islamic Republic will give a new impetus to the development of cooperation between the two states.

Rouhani said, in turn, that Iran considers Armenia a friendly country and desires to further develop bilateral ties.