Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, who arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for talks to expand defense cooperation between the two neighboring countries, today met with Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri.

Papikyan met with Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani on Wednesday.

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Ashanti told Papikyan that the Caucasus should not turn into an arena of outside interference and that all security challenges must be overcome regionally.

Ashtiani said Tehran supports direct talks between Yerevan and Baku and opposes any change to internationally recognized borders.

Bagheri, a military commander with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, was sanctioned by the United States and Canada in September 2022 following the harsh suppression of protesters during the Mahsa Amini protests.

Photo (from left); Papikyan, interpreter, Bagheri