NEW IRANIAN AMBASSADOR HANDS CREDENTIAL TO KOCHARIAN

YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS: Ali Reza Haqiqian, the newly
appointed ambassador of Iran to Armenia, handed today his credentials
over to president Kocharian. Kocharian’s press office said the new
ambassador conveyed the warm greetings of Iranian president Mohammad
Khatami to Kocharian. The ambassador was quoted as saying that Iran
appreciates highly Armenian president for keeping the bilateral
relations in the focus of his attention. He also added that
Kocharian’s visit to Iran in 2001 is perceived in Iran as a turning
point in mutually beneficial cooperation.
Congratulating the ambassador on taking a new tenure president
Kocharian said the ambassador received a serious legacy. He also
assessed the current level of diverse Iranian-Armenian relations
positively, saying they should be developed further. He said
concurrently with active political contacts economic interaction is
moving towards a qualitatively new phase, encompassing infrastructure
development with several major projects underway.
The new ambassador said he will exert all efforts to see all
majorjoint projects materialized. The two men also said the upcoming
visit of Iranian president to Armenia in autumn will give a serious
boost to bilateral relations. Also regional issues, the Karabagh
conflict regulation were discussed. Iran-Armenia relations were
considered a weighty factor for regional stability and peace.