Armenia Calls for Expansion of Economic Ties with Iran

Armenia’s new Ambassador to Tehran Artashes Tumanyan in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif voiced his country’s willingness to broaden economic ties with Iran, AVA Diplomatic reports.

“During my mission in Iran I will pursue the further expansion of bilateral economic ties,” Tumanyan said during the meeting.

The Iranian foreign minister, for his part, pointed to Iran-Armenia close relations and the two countries’ abundant cultural and historical commonalities, and said, “It is necessary for Iran and Armenia to broaden their relations in different areas.”

In late January, Zarif in a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan in Yerevan underlined that Tehran sees no boundary for the expansion of relations with Armenia.

“Iran is ready to cooperate with Armenia in different areas, including telecommunications, railway, energy, gas, electricity and cleaning of Aras River,” Zarif said during the meeting in the Armenian capital.

The Iranian foreign minister underlined that Tehran sees no limitation for broadening relations with Yerevan.

Zarif pointed to the visit of Abrahamyan to Tehran, and thanked the Armenian prime minister for his efforts to develop mutual cooperation with Iran.

The Iranian foreign minister voiced his pleasure in the membership of Armenia in the Eurasia alliance, and expressed the hope that the membership would help to the expansion of Yerevan’s bilateral ties with Tehran.

The Armenian prime minister, for his part, pointed to the status quo of Armenia-Iran relations, and said, “The two countries are having high-level political relations, but we should also try to expand the level of economic ties.”

Abrahamyan also vowed to do his best to remove the problems of the Iranian prisoners in Armenian jails.

He referred to the role of Iranian businessmen in the expansion of Iran-Armenia relations, and said, “We can have joint agricultural products and export our goods to the Euro-Asia member-states.”

Iran and Armenia have taken major strides towards widening and deepening of their relations in recent years, particularly in the economic sector.

In October, Abrahamyan, heading a high-ranking delegation, visited Iran to confer with senior officials of the country on ways to develop all-out ties.

Abrahamyan held meetings with a number of high-ranking Iranian officials, including Zarif, during which they exchanged views on the growing trend of the development of bilateral relations in all areas, specially in economic, trade, infrastructures and tourism fields, and underscored the necessity for removing the existing obstacles.

They also called for continued reciprocal visits by Iranian and Armenian officials to consult and exchange views on the bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest.