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Rajab Safarov: Iran can be a useful mediator in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict â€“ EXCLUSIVE

Rajab Safarov: Iran can be a useful mediator in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict â€“ <font color=red>EXCLUSIVE</font>

14 December 2009 09:26 (UTC +04:00)

-Turkey has expressed its intention to mediate in the situation around Iranâ€™s nuclear problem. How do you assess US-Turkey talks in this context? Does Turkey have real opportunities to play the role of an effective mediator?

-Iran-Turkey relations are developing. Turkish Prime Ministerâ€™s recent visit to Iran opened a new stage in the relations between the countries. Turkey is certainly an important state, this state is both the member of the Islamic world and participates in the western alliance. On the other hand, Turkey is Iranâ€™s economic rival and political opponent in the region, Persian Gulf and Islamic world. Against the background of the negative factors sourced from this rivalry it would be very important to use Turkeyâ€™s opportunities to eliminate tension around Iran. Turkeyâ€™s proposal on guaranteeing to keep Iranâ€™s nuclear fuel on its territory was very interesting. Iran expressed its gratitude for this proposal and generally for Turkeyâ€™s efforts to solve the problem, but anyway Iran considers that its nuclear fuel must be on its territory. Therefore, Turkeyâ€™s proposal was rejected. It should not be forgotten that Turkey is NATOâ€™s member and the corporate decisions passed in connection with NATO can make Iran be careful. There is an opinion that NATO is going to make influence on Iran through Turkey and in order to secure itself from any negative influence Iran rejected Turkeyâ€™s proposal.

-Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, another issue important for regional security, was also discussed during Obama-Erdogan dialogue. Iran several times offered the sides its mediation in the settlement of the conflict. Is Iranâ€™s proposal still effective and with what does Iranâ€™s proposal differ from that of the present mediators?

- Iran is interested in the establishing of relations with both Azerbaijan and Armenia and it is also interested in the normalization of relations between these two countries more than others. If we take historic socio-political relations between Azerbaijan and Iran, Caspian energy factor, Azerbaijanis as a significant part of Iranâ€™s population, Azerbaijanâ€™s real influence on Iran, which is felt now, and strategic relations between Iran and Armenia into consideration, we can say that Iran can be useful mediator in the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Iranâ€™s participation in this process can have positive impact on the solution of problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia. I consider that certain steps are already taken, but the main idea is that Iran is interested in the establishing of normal and stable relations between the two countries, but not in the tensions.

-Can Iran use its high-level relations with Armenia to demand withdrawal of its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan? Iran aspires to peace and stability in the region, but long-standing peace and stability is impossible without the liberation of Azerbaijani lands.

- Iran can request and hint some tendencies, but withdrawal of troops is under the Armeniaâ€™s authority. Iran can only express its opinion on this issue and it can say that if this aspect of the problem is solved, it will be better for both Armenia and Azerbaijan and useful for whole region. Iran can never demand Armenia to withdraw its troops because it can be accepted by Armenia as an interference in the domestic affairs.