Armenia DM talks on Caucasus, bilateral relations in Iran

Armenia DM talks on Caucasus, bilateral relations in Iran
By Konstantin Kazeyev

ITAR-TASS News Agency
February 9, 2005 Wednesday

TEHERAN, February 9 — The situation in the Caucasus and issues of
bilateral relations were in the focus of attention at talks Armenian
Defence Minister and National Security Secretary Serzh Sarkisyan held
with Iranian officials.

Sarkisyan arrived in Teheran on a visit on Tuesday and held talks
with President Mohammad Khatami, Secretary of the Supreme National
Security Council Hasan Rowhani and Chairman of the Expediency Council
Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

The regional current problems could be solved without interference
of outside states, the sides stressed at the talks. Iran expressed
readiness to undertake a mediator mission in the Karabakh crisis
settlement that should be resolved peacefully, the Iranian leadership
is certain.

Cooperation between Yerevan and Teheran is aimed at ensuring security
at stability in the region, Khatami stressed.

The sides gave major attention to cooperation in the transport sphere,
in particular, to the project of connecting the two countries’
railway networks.

The Iranian president emphasised the importance of creating the
North-South transport corridor important for the development of
regional integration.

The sides stated the intention to accelerate the implementation of
projects on the transportation of Iranian gas and Iranian electric
power supply to Armenia.