MNA – Armenia’s Defense Minister Sargsyan said his country was opposed regional tensions as appreciated Iran’s effort in alleviating ongoing crises.Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan, who arrived in Tehran on Monday evening at official invitations of his Iranian counterpart, in leading a top-ranking defense delegation.

Following an official welcoming ceremony on Tuesday morning, Armenia’s Sargsyan met with Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan exchanging views on bilateral, regional and international issues.

During the meeting, Iran’s Dehghan pointed to commonalities as well as cultural and historical bonds between Iran and Armenia saying “for having joint borders with 15 countries, Islamic Republic of Iran ranks second in the world as regards number of neighbors.”

“Iran has always sought best relations with neighbors and has suffered great losses in the attempt to settle peace, stability and sustainable security inside the region.”

He reiterated that present difficulties could be resolved only through dialogue and negotiation in a peaceful fashion; “exercising force in settling regional issues proved to be futile and Iran will spare no effort to address ongoing problems.”

“Continuous and definite fight against terrorism and roots of insecurity and instability remains as principal policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” underlined Dehghan.

He maintained that recent movements by the Zionist Regime in expanding settlements in occupied territories and violation of international rules are among unsafe actions taken in the region and need to be addressed comprehensively.

Iran’s defense minister referred to the growing trend in bilateral cooperation between Iran and Armenia in all fields and voiced Iran’s readiness to further boost mutual collaborations.

Also at the meeting, Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan voiced pleasure towards his presence in Iran which has coincided with anniversary of Imam Khomeini’s arrival in Tehran asserted “we consider victory of Islamic Revolution marks a turning point in history of Iran.”

The visiting official touched upon importance of Iran’s outstanding position in the region and world emphasizing on his country’s eagerness to bolster relations with Tehran.

Sargsyan also called for development of defense relations with Iran asserting that his visit could pave the path for relevant collaborations.

“We are against all tensions in the region and disputes among neighboring states,” said the official appreciating Iran’s efforts in relieving tensions.

He hailed Iran’s role in resolving Nagorno-Karabakh conflict reiterating that the issue has no military solution.

At the end of his remarks, Vigen Sargsyan underscored that Armenia share Iran’s views in the fight against terrorism and voiced his country’s willingness to launch cooperation in this regard.