Armenian president, Iranian governor discuss bilateral relations

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
6 Jul 05

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan received a delegation led by the
governor of Iran’s Hormozgan Province, Ebrahim Derazgisu, today.

The Armenian president welcomed an initiative on establishing
cooperation between Ararat Region [of Armenia] and Iran’s Hormozgan
Province noting that cooperation between regions is a time-tested and
efficient method of expanding the mutual relations. Speaking on
[recent] presidential elections in Iran, Kocharyan said that the
existing relations between Armenia and Iran will continue and reached
agreements will be observed under the newly-elected Iranian president.

Derazgisu told the Armenian president greetings from the former
Iranian president, [Mohammad] Khatami. Derazgisu noted that the
newly-elected president, Mahmud Ahmadinezhad, intended to continue the
policy of his predecessor especially with regard to the mutual
relations between the neighbouring states.

Touching on expanding the economic relations, Kocharyan noted that
despite the implementation of a number of projects between Armenia and
Iran, the dynamically developing Armenian economy opened new
opportunities for cooperation. In this context, the Armenian president
stressed the importance of the construction of a new Iran-Armenia road
saying that this will increase the value of the transport turnover
between the two countries.

Derazgisu noted that Hormozgan Province, which have two free and three
special economic zones as well as three international airports and one
seaport, is a favourable region for the development of the ties
between Armenia and Iran. Derazgisu said he was ready to do his best
to help Armenian businessmen.

[Video showed the meeting]