Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Envoy Sayyed Abbas Araghchi recently visited Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia and then Turkey to discuss the package of proposals on the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict prepared by Tehran.
Although the Iranian side has not published the full package of proposals, several judgments can be made based on some provisions published by Abbas Araghchi during his regional visit.
As is often the case with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs' proposals or their statements on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in the case of the Iranian initiative, each side seeks to use the provisions in the proposal package to its advantage.
Such an obvious approach was shown by the Azerbaijani side, which, based on only a single item of the Iranian proposal (territorial), stated that it welcomed the proposal, ignoring the concerns of the Iranian side regarding the threat of terrorism, the inviolability of internationally recognized borders, as well as the security of civilians.
In the context of the Iranian proposal, the remark of the Special Envoy of the President of Iran on the ineffectiveness of the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group was perceived as a step taken by Iran to dissolve the Minsk Group. However, in fact, it is not the first time that Tehran speaks about the "inefficient" activity of the Minsk Group. During his tenure (2012-2016) many times this was spoken about by Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pakayin.
Analyzing the statements made by Abbas Araghchi in Baku, Moscow, Yerevan and Ankara, it can be observed that the Iranian side tried to take into account the priorities of the mentioned countries when presenting its package. Therefore, Araghchi's statement after his meeting with Ilham Aliyev, fits into this logic.
Factors of both Turkish and Azerbaijani-Israeli military cooperation should be taken into account when assessing the Iranian package. Especially due to the specifics of relations with Turkey, Iran is cautious in some issues, but the growing threat of terrorists and targeting of the Armenia-Iran border by Azerbaijan also directly threatens Iran's national interests.
Therefore, leaving aside the political component of the program presented by Iran, in fact, Iran is interested in establishing security and stability in the region.
In this context, it should be emphasized that in an interview with Ria Novosti, on the eve of Abbas Araghchi's visit to Yerevan, the RA Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, referring to Tehran's mediation efforts in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, noted, "Iran is a very powerful country in the region, and unlike Turkey, it has a responsible and constructive position when it comes to regional security."
Also it is worth mentioning the political consultations held between the Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Iran during Abbas Araghchi's visit to Yerevan. In the tense situation in the region, it is necessary to re-evaluate the issues of the bilateral agenda, giving them mutually beneficial solutions conditioned by the situation.
