Iran rejects territorial claims in Istanbul declaration

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Sobhani has stated that the Islamic Republic does not agree with the territorial claims against Armenia included in the OIC Istanbul Declaration.

“Certain clauses of the document do not require unanimous agreement from all members,” he told reporters, according to Sputnik Armenia.

The declaration, reportedly influenced by Baku, mentions the so-called “Western Azerbaijan Community” and urges Armenia not to obstruct the “return of Western Azerbaijanis.” Baku uses the term “Western Azerbaijan” to refer to Armenian territory.

Despite having consistently expressed verbal support for Armenia’s territorial integrity, Iran voted in favor of adopting the declaration. Explaining Tehran’s position, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei noted that member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) can include issues in collective documents that do not reflect the stance of every individual member.

Earlier, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan commented that Yerevan was discussing the declaration’s language with certain OIC member states.