Armenia Calls for Joint Projects with Iran

Armenian Ambassador to Tehran Grigor Arakelian has reaffirmed his country’s resolve to promote cooperation with Iran in various economic fields, including energy sector, AVA Diplomatic reports.“Yerevan and Tehran can play a key role in strengthening stability in the region through the expansion of ties in different areas and cooperation in construction of joint infrastructural projects in Armenia,” Arakelian stated.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is slated to pay a day-long visit to Armenia on Monday at the helm of a high-ranking politico-economic delegation to discuss ways to consolidate Tehran-Yerevan relations in various fields.

The Armenian ambassador urged Tehran and Yerevan to utilize their great potentialities to bolster bilateral and regional relations, saying, “Iran and Armenia place emphasis on joint cooperation in the field of construction of railways in order to connect the two countries.”

He added that Iran will construct a 60-kilometer railway from Jolfa, a town in Iran’s East Azarbaijan province, to its borders with Armenia while Yerevan, in turn, will construct a 400-kilometer railway to connect the two countries’ railway networks.

Arakelian noted that the railway would help Armenia to transport passengers and goods to the Persian Gulf littoral states and member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization.

He stated that the railway would also link Iran to the littoral states of the Black Sea and certain northern countries through Armenia.

The Armenian diplomat further added that the two countries have taken positive steps towards the expansion of cooperation in energy, electricity and gas fields during recent years.

Close cooperation between Iran and Armenia in all areas would play an important role in building confidence among regional countries, he concluded.