President: Iran Supports Political Solutions to Regional Issues

(FNA)- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan underscored that Tehran is in favor of political and peaceful settlement of the regional problems based on the international laws.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran supports political and peaceful solutions to the settlement of the regional issues within the framework of the international laws and regulations," Rouhani said during the meeting in Tehran on Monday afternoon.

"If there are differences on certain issues, the regional countries should try to pave the ground for reaching a solution agreed by all sides," he added.

Elsewhere, Rouhani referred to the good relations between Iran and Armenia, and said, "Tehran and Yerevan have had good cooperation on regional and international issues and we appreciate Armenia's positive positions."

Abrahamyan, for his part, underlined the good and age-old relations between the two countries, and expressed the hope that his visit would pave the ground for the development of the relations in all areas, specially in economic fields.

Iran and Armenia have taken major strides towards widening and deepening of their relations in recent years, particularly in the economic sector.

According to Iran’s Commercial Attaché in Yerevan Hamaiak Avadis Yanes, the trade turnover between the two neighboring countries hit $293mln in 2013.

Also, Iran has many times underlined the necessity for the peaceful settlement of the territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, stressing its readiness for mediating between the two sides.

Despite facing strong international pressure, the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders have failed to agree on the basic principles of ending the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict put forward by Russia, the United States and France in 2011.

Armenia and Azerbaijan thus remain officially at war over Nagorno-Karabakh and the dispute is a major source of tension in the South Caucasus region wedged between Iran, Russia and Turkey.

No country - not even Armenia - officially recognizes Karabakh as an independent state.