Office of Armen Sarkissian Responds to Scandalous News

The comments attributed to the fourth President of the Republic, Armen Sarkissian, circulating in the media are distorted interpretations that misrepresent the true essence of the conversation. This message was disseminated by the office of the fourth President of Armenia, commenting on the publication by the newspaper "Azg" regarding former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's recent remarks during a recorded interview, where he stated that six months after the end of the 44-day war, he met with the President during his visit to Yerevan and subsequently conveyed a "message" to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

He is one of the veteran diplomats of the Islamic Republic of Iran and is among the most active advocates of presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian in the upcoming 2024 presidential elections. He served as the head of the Strategic Council during the transitional period of the 14th government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and previously, as Foreign Minister in President Rouhani’s administration, he visited Yerevan and Baku six months after the end of the 44-day war. In Yerevan, the Iranian Foreign Minister also met with former President Armen Sarkissian as part of the scheduled protocol.

Recently, the Iranian diplomat provided notable details about the Yerevan meeting during one of his recorded interviews. According to Mohammad Javad Zarif, during a bilateral conversation after an expanded format meeting, Armen Sarkissian reportedly asked to convey the following message to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev: "28 years ago we were strong, and Azerbaijan was weak. We took control of Nagorno-Karabakh, humiliated you (the Azerbaijanis), and did not negotiate with you. For 28 years, we humiliated you and fell to this day: Do not repeat our mistake." Zarif added, "I conveyed the President of Armenia's message to President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, emphasizing that peace should be established when you are strong. Ilham Aliyev found these words logical and stated that Azerbaijan would act accordingly."

You can read the full article at the original source.