Stepan Grigoryan: Iran is a serious stakeholder in the regionDecember 14, 2009 - 21:54 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran's willingness to act as a broker in Karabakh peace deal should not sound surprising, since the country has periodically proposed such initiatives, according to Stepan Grigoryan, Head of Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation. "In early 1990s, Iran was a mediator between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It is a serious regional stakeholder whose opinion cannot be ignored," he told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.As to why the country made the proposal now, the politician said Iran cannot hold a neutral stance, seeing the attempts of linking Karabakh peace process with Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. "Of course, OSCE Minsk Group remains the only format for settling Karabakh conflict, but that doesn't mean we should be inattentive to other initiatives and proposals," Armenian expert said. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Mirzoyan says meeting with Bayramov was “constructive” At the moment, Ararat Mirzoyan said, there is no basis for additional comments. OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. |