Armenian Envoy: EEU Members Favor Iran’s Membership

Armenian Ambassador to Tehran Artashes Tumanyan announced that members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU or EEU), specially Yerevan, are interested in the development of cooperation with Iran and want Tehran to join the block, AVA Diplomatic Reports, AVA Diplomatic reports.

“All members of the EEU agree with the expansion of cooperation with Iran, but Armenia has a more active role (in this regard),” Tumanyan said on Sunday.

“Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Russia are five members of the EEU and if Iran expands its economic and trade cooperation with Armenia, fruitful cooperation will be launched between Iran and the EEU,” he added.

Expressing pleasure that Tehran and Yerevan enjoy high-level and close relations, he said that Iran’s balanced role vis a vis other regional states is important to Armenia and his country seeks further broadening of trade exchanges with Iran.

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

Earlier this month, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Oceania Ebrahim Rahimpour in separate meetings with Armenian energy and foreign ministers in Yerevan on Saturday discussed further expansion of mutual cooperation.

In his meeting with Armenian Energy and Natural Resources Minister Ervand Zakharyan in Armenia’s capital, Rahimpour underlined the need for the further expansion of economic cooperation, specially increase in power exchanges between the two countries.

The Armenian energy minister pointed to the Yerevan-Tehran energy cooperation, and said, “The annual power exchanges of Armenia and Iran currently exceeds 1 billion KW/H and we hope that the figure will considerably increase after the launch of the third electricity transmission line between the two countries.

Zakharyan reiterated that the construction of the third transmission line for power exchanges between Armenia and Iran will begin in less than two months and will be accomplished by 2018.

In his meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian, the Iranian deputy foreign minister discussed broadening of parliamentary ties and implementation of joint projects.

“We have many pending projects in Armenia that we hope will become operational very soon,” Rahimpour said during the meeting.

He pointed to the good relations between Tehran and Yerevan, and said, “We have many capabilities for investment and rendering technical and engineering services to Armenia.”