IRNA, Iran
January 22, 2005 Saturday 4:43 PM EST

Iran, Armenia stress cooperation in labor affairs

Tehran, January 22

Labor and Social Affairs Minister Nasser Khaleqi and his Armenian
counterpart Aghvan Vardanian stressed here Saturday expansion of ties
between the two countries in labor affairs..

Iran and Armenia have had cordial relation for many years and can
therefore increase their cooperation in other areas as well.

Cooperation between the two sides in employment and labor affairs,
technical and vocational training, research, and other areas in
industry can increase product quality in both nations.

The experts of the Labor Ministry are ready to hold discussions with
their Armenian counterparts, Khaleqi added.

For his part, Vardanian said the two nations have had over 2,000
years of friendly relations.

Armenia`s labor laws have been rewritten after the fall of Soviet
Union and Yerevan is eager to cooperate with Iran on employment and
labor affairs.

“Tehran and Yerevan have good cooperation in energy and
transportation sector,” he added.

A draft agreement was also signed between the two officials which
will be further discussed in the coming days and if agreed, will be
signed.

The two nations are engaged in various joint industrial projects.

Speaking in an interview with a Yerevan-based weekly in December
Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Alireza Haqiqian said, “Iran`s
relations with foreign countries, in particular its neighbors, is
based on mutual respect and non-interference in their domestic
affairs.”

Expressing satisfaction over the current level of Iran-Armenia
relations and its growing trend, he said that the visits of Armenia`s
President Robert Kocharian to Tehran and President Mohammad Khatami`s
trip to Yerevan played a crucial role in further strengthening mutual
ties.

. He referred to some of the projects on the agenda including the
meetings of the joint economic commission, active participation of
Iranian tradesmen in Armenia`s market, the activities of Iranian
economic institutions there and cooperation in the energy sector.

In response to a question whether Moscow-Baku-Tehran railway will
replace Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route, he said that given Iran`s decisive
role in the regional transit system, the interest of the countries of
the region in cooperation with Iran is quite natural.

He added that according to a number of specialists, the Baku-Ceyhan
railway project is a political scheme, not economical.