Armenia–Iran relations are the bilateral relations between Iran and Armenia. Despite religious and ideological differences, relations between Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran remain cordial and Armenia and Iran are strategic partners in the region.
The two neighbouring countries share to a great extent similar history and culture, and have had relations for thousands of years, starting with the Median Empire. The territory of nowadays Armenia made part of Iran up to 1828, when it was forcefully ceded to neighbouring Imperial Russia through the consequences of the Russo-Persian War (1826-1828) and the resulting Treaty of Turkmenchay. There are no border disputes between the two countries and the Christian Armenian minority in Iran, amongst the largest and oldest communities in the world, enjoys official recognition. Of special importance is the cooperation in the field of energy security which lowers Armenia's dependence on Russia and can in the future also supply Iranian gas to Europe through Georgia and the Black Sea.
Stepan Safarian, of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies, has said "Given this geopolitical environment, Armenia has the legitimate right to cooperate with Iran for ensuring its security...Besides, Armenia has an energy surplus and its only major export market at present is Iran...So there is also a lot of economic interest involved."
Due to the long shared intertwined history, and with the Armenians having a native presence in what is nowadays northwestern Iran for millennia, many of the oldest Armenian churches and monasteries are located within Iran, such as the Saint Stepanos Monastery and St. Thaddeus Monastery, amongst others. Armenia and Iran also share extensive touristic and trade ties.
Iran and Armenia have been in close contact for thousands of years. Since Antiquity there has always been much interaction between Ancient Armenia and Persia (Iran). The Armenian people are amongst the native ethnic groups of northwestern Iran (known as Iranian Azerbaijan), having millennia long recorded history there while the region (or parts of it) have had made up part of historical Armenia numerous times in history. These historical Armenian regions that nowadays include Iranian Azerbaijan are Nor Shirakan, Vaspurakan, and Paytakaran. Many of the oldest Armenian chapels, monasteries and churches in the world are located within this region of Iran.
Armenia was conquered by the Persian Empire numerous times throughout history, particularly by the Median, Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid empires, and the Safavid, Afsharid, and Qajar dynasties. Due to the large cultural and historical ties, Armenia is often considered part of Greater Iran. Armenia and Iran enjoy cultural and historical ties that go back thousands of years.
On the Behistun inscription of 515 BC, Darius the Great indirectly confirmed that Urartu and Armenia are synonymous when describing his conquests. Armenia became a satrap of the Persian Empire for a long period of time. Regardless, relations between Armenians and Persians were cordial.
The cultural links between the Armenians and the Persians can be traced back to Zoroastrian times. Prior to the 3rd century AD, no other neighbor had as much influence on Armenian life and culture as Parthia. They shared many religious and cultural characteristics, and intermarriage among Parthian and Armenian nobility was common. For twelve more centuries, Armenia was under the direct or indirect rule of the Persians.
What is now modern day Armenia was relatively recently separated from Iran by the Russian victory in the Russo-Persian War (1826-1828).[6] This loss in the 1826-1828 Russo-Iranian War in the first half of the 19th century made Iran irrevocably cede its Armenian territories (amongst other territories), which made part of the concept of Iran for centuries, to Imperial Russia as confirmed in the Treaty of Turkmenchay of 1828.[6] Following the incorporation by Russia, Armenia stayed within the Russian sphere until the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
New peace mediation efforts were initiated by the Iranian President, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in the first half of 1992, after the events in Khojaly and the resignation of Azeri President Ayaz Mutallibov. By conducting shuttle diplomacy in Armenia and Azerbaijan for several weeks, Iranian diplomats were able to bring new President of Azerbaijan Yaqub Mammadov and President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian to Tehran for bilateral talks on 7 May 1992. The Tehran Communiqué was signed by Mammadov, Ter-Petrosian, and Rafsanjani following the agreement of the parties to international legal norms, stability of borders and to deal with the refugee crisis. However, the peace efforts were disrupted on the next day when Armenian troops captured the town of Shusha and failed following the capture of the town Lachin on 18 May.
#armenian_catholic_church #christianity_in_iran #shia_islam
0 Comments