Iran disagrees with territorial claims against Armenia mentioned in Istanbul Declaration, says Iran’s ambassador to Armenia

The Islamic Republic of Iran does not agree with the territorial claims against Armenia outlined in the Istanbul Declaration, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani said at a press briefing.

“Some points of this document do not imply the consent of individual member states,” Sobhani stated.

To remind, the declaration mentioned the so-called “Western Azerbaijani community” and called on Armenia “not to obstruct the return of Western Azerbaijanis.” By the phrase “Western Azerbaijan,” Baku suggests the territory of Armenia.

The Iranian side, which has repeatedly expressed verbal support for Armenia’s territorial integrity, voted in favor of adopting the document. Explaining Tehran’s stance, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation can raise issues in collective documents that do not reflect the stance of each individual member state.