FM: Iran trusts Armenia to protect its interests over TRIPP
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran trusts Armenia to safeguard Iran’s security interests regarding the proposed transit corridor known as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which is meant to link mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory, Armenpress reported.
TRIPP was a US-brokered framework aimed at advancing peace and connectivity in the South Caucasus, but has drawn Tehran’s attention because of its potential implications for regional geopolitics, the presence of the United States near Iran’s borders, and the balance of regional influence.
Iran has consistently stressed the need to preserve national sovereignty, territorial integrity and established borders in the region, warning against arrangements that could undermine its security interests.
Asked at a press briefing in Yerevan on the sidelines of the leaders’ summit of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) whether Iran remained concerned about TRIPP and the US presence in the region, Araghchi said Tehran was maintaining close contact with Armenian officials.
“We have concerns about any US presence in the region and around us. But on this issue, we are in direct contact with our Armenian friends. We trust them, and we know that they will do nothing against Iran’s security,” he said.
Araghchi added that consultations with the Armenian authorities were continuing, pointing to recent high-level exchanges between the two countries.
“My good friend, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, was in Tehran, and we had good consultations. Today, our president will meet with the Armenian prime minister, perhaps for the second time in two weeks. So, we are in close contact,” he said.