The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Istanbul this evening (Thursday) as the last leg of his tour to Russia and the Caucasian region to meet with Turkish officials.
Upon arrival in Istanbul, Zarif said "Our relations with Turkey are very important and we always need to consult with Turkey," adding that “Bilateral and regional cooperation with Turkey is also crucial.”
He added "Creating the necessary conditions for a lasting peace in the Caucasus region through cooperation is a very important issue that I brought up in detail during my [previous] visits to four countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Georgia."
Zarif said "In my meetings in Turkey, I will follow up on these issues more in order to lay the ground for cooperation, especially in the field of transit and transportation routes after the Nagorno-Karabakh catastrophe."
Asked about the six-party mechanism for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as outlined by the Turkish president, the top Iranian diplomat said "This issue has been brought up by Mr. Erdogan in the past and I have had talks with some regional officials in this regard and I will discuss the outcome of these talks with Turkish officials."
He stressed "The six-party mechanism as one of the methods of cooperation is very important, especially in the field of transit, but there are some barriers that we hope will be removed gradually."
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