ARMENIAN LEADER SAYS POWER PLANT PROJECT TO "OPEN NEW PAGE" IN TIES WITH IRAN

Mediamax news agency
19 Mar 07

Yerevan, 19 March: The Armenian and Iranian energy ministers signed an
intergovernmental agreement in Meghri today on the joint construction
and exploitation of a hydroelectric power plant on River Aras.

As the special correspondent of Mediamax reports from Meghri, the
signing of the document took place after putting into operation the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, in which the presidents of Armenia and Iran,
Robert Kocharyan and Mahmud Ahmadinezhad participated.

Speaking at a news conference, Robert Kocharyan said that the
construction of a joint power plant "will open a new page in
Armenian-Iranian relations".

He stressed that 15 years ago there was nothing in Meghri evidencing
Armenian-Iranian relations and that the two sides were separated with
a barbed wire.

"Today, there are many things here evidencing our growing relations. By
the bridge, on which I met the Iranian president today, 600,000 tons
of cargo was transported last year," the Armenian president said.

Robert Kocharyan highlighted that economic cooperation between Armenia
and Iran had started including large infrastructure projects.

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad said that he had discussed with
Robert Kocharyan the issues of cooperation in the sphere of energy,
transport, communication and water industry.