Although this snake looks like a "persa" in wide understanding. I had an interesting experience in Armenia, which somehow changed my vision about simplicity in distinguishing persa fro other forms. In Armenia forms "persa" and "scuttata" inhabit quite different geographically distinct environments. Natrix natrix scuttata (black of brown snake without stripes and wirh white and black belly shields) is common in N, NE Armenia, as well as in the forest covered highlands of the Central Armenia, while Natrix natri persa (a brown snake with or ithour stripes and with bright orange neck, and yellow w black belly) is common in dry lowlands as well as open grassland mountaneous habitats of S and Central Armenia. But after I saw some striped specimen in the population of Natrix natrix scuttata, I'm not sure about reliability of the pattern in this group. Just not sure. Any Ideas?

Actually you're entirely right this specimen comes from an intermediary population between ssp natrix and ssp persia. Most of specimen had natrix pattern, other had natrix pattern with thin stripe and some had (like this one) a persa pattern. So separation between subspecies isn't so simple, there are interbreeding between individuals of different subspecies especially in area of overlapping ranges.