IranMania, Iran
Feb 22 2005

“Iran plans to increase investments in Armenia”

Tuesday, February 22, 2005 – ©2005 IranMania.com

LONDON, Feb 22 (IranMania) – A private television channel in
Azerbaijan Republic BM-TI TV said on Monday that many Iranian
companies are planning to increase investments in Armenia.

Quoting Iranian embassy’s commercial attache in Yerevan Ali Najafi,
the Azeri TV network said that Iranian and Armenian investors are
planing to hold their first mutual trade session in 2005.

“Iranian and Armenian investors need to obtain more knowledge on ach
other’s capabilities and potentials which necessitate the holding of
such a meeting,” Najafi underlined.

Iran and Armenia intend to boost industrial and trade relations and
will provide suitable opportunities for both nations’ private firms,
he said.

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.