Azerbaijan, Baku, July 9 / Trend T.Jafarov /
The Iranian interior minister has called Armenia a "friendly country."
"Relations between Armenia and Iran are strong, and nothing can affect them," Iran's Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar told reporters on Monday before the visit to Armenia, the Cabinet of Ministers of Iran said on Monday.
Najjar said the relationships between the two countries are stable and friendly, and are developing day by day.
The Minister noted that in recent years ties between Armenia and Iran are developing in the economic sphere, adding that by developing programs even greater development can be achieved.
Najjar said Iran is in favor of stability and security in the region.
"We do not want the differences between our neighbors, because the normal relations between them are in our favor," he said. Iran is ready to do all that is in its power for rapprochement of the neighboring countries and to help solve the existing problems, Najjar said.
"Iran wants to resolve the conflict between the countries of the region through negotiations and mutual understanding. We support the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of mutual understanding and without the intervention of other countries," he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.