IRANIAN MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE: THERE ARE CONSIDERABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARMENIAN-IRANIAN COOPERATION IN AGRICULTURE

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. During the November 28 meeting
of the Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian and the Iranian
Minister of Agriculture Mohammad Reza Eskandari, the sides spoke about
the extension and development of cooperation between the two countries
in various spheres. Noting the the age-long friendship of Armenia and
Iran, the historical and cultural similarities and close links form
a solid basis for developing the relations in an atmosphere of mutual
respect and trust, the Armenian prime minister and the Iranian minister
of agriculture attached special importance to mutual high-level
visits and the active work of the Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental
commission in terms of giving all this a practical character.

On behalf of his country’s government, the Iranian minister expressed
gratitute to the Armenian government for the balanced position that it
shows in international structures with respect to Iran-related issues.

The interlocutors spoke with satisfaction about the qualitative
progress registered in the bilateral economic relations in recent
years, underlining the cooperation in the energy sector: construction
of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, operation of the third high-voltage
line, the hydropower plant on the Arax River to be built jointly,
and in the transport sphere – construction of a new Armenia-Iran
alternative road, which will facilitate the transportation and make
Armenia more attractive for north-south transit transportation. The
sides also pointed out the importance of the construction of a railway
line between Armenia and Iran, the actively developing relations
and cooperation among various administrative territories of the two
countries and the joint programs being implemented in a number of
spheres, including agriculture that may play quite an important
role. In the Iranian minister’s words, there are considerable
opportunities for partnership and experience exchange in agriculture.

Mohammad Reza Eskandari attached importance to the agreement on plant
protection and phyto-sanitary quarantine between the two governments,
the agreement on cooperation in the sphere of livestock farming, and
the mutual understanding memorandum to be signed with the RA Ministry
of Agriculture during this visit. He said that these agreements and
memorandum will become a new stimulus for further cooperation.

According to the RA Government Information and PR Department, at the
conclusion of the meeting, the sides expressed their willingness to
put into practice the high-level agrrements reached through mutual
visits and the work of the intergovernmental commission and the
working groups.