Iran's foreign minister has called for the reopening of transit routes closed by the Karabakh conflict, especially the one linking Iran's Jolfa to Armenia through the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Saturday visit to Jolfa border crossing, Mohammad Javad Zarif said the reopening of Jolfa-Nakhchivan-Armenia route can bring back prosperity to the Jolfa and Aras regions of Iran.
Zarif said he raised the issue in his meetings with top officials of Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan Republic, and told them the reopening of these routes will be in the interest of all parties.
The transit route has been closed since the Karabakh conflict erupted on September 27 last year.
The deadly conflict between Armenia and the Azerbaijan Republic ended on November 10 with a Russian-brokered truce.
As part of the truce agreement, Armenia returned swathes of territory it had occupied for decades to Azeri control.
In his Saturday remarks, Zarif expressed pleasure with the end of Karabakh conflict, and expressed hope for establishment of peace and friendship in the region.
"Now is the time for all of us to look forward,” he noted.