IRNA, Iran
January 25, 2005 Tuesday 6:58 PM EST

Iran, Armenia stress labor, employment cooperation

Tehran

Minister of Labor and Employment Affairs Nasser Khaleqi and Armenian
Minsiter of Soical Welfare Agvan Vartanyan stressed in a meeting here
Tuesday on sharing experiences on labor and employment affairs.

They also signed a memorandum of understanding which stipulates for
rising productivity in centers for dissemination of employment data,
finding solutions for reducing youth unemployment rate, and expansion
of small and medium-size industrial units.

Also, other areas of cooperation will be to devise ways for reducing
emolument-related injuries and rising employees health, the role of
worker and employer unions in stabilizing labor markets, , and
exchange of educational and vocational-related experiences.

Another a agreement was signed between the Armenian minister of labor
and Iran`s Welfare and Social Security Ministry for removing hurdles
on boosting employment.

The agreement has 14 article, implementation of which are mandatory
after the two side`s approval.

Including labor cooperation, the two nations are engaged in various
development 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.