IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS TRADE WITH ARMENIA TO DOUBLE IN 2007
Arminfo
20 Jul 07
Yerevan, 20 July: Iran and Armenia are planning to increase 2.5 times
foreign trade in 2007 and bring it to 500m dollars, the Iranian
foreign minister and Iranian co-chairman of the Armenian-Iranian
intergovernmental commission, Manuchehr Mottaki, said at the seventh
session of the commission in Yerevan today.
Although experts of the two countries go ahead and predict trade to
the tune of 1bn dollars, 500m dollars against 200m dollars in 2006
looks more realistic, and there is a chance that at the next annual
session of the commission this growth will be recorded, he said. There
is a vast potential for "the speedy development of relations" between
the countries, he added.
In order to realize this potential, the sides are currently discussing
a draft treaty on free trade.
The minister added that the agenda also included the construction
projects of two hydroelectric power plants on the border River
Araz. Iran is in talks with Armenia and Russia on the construction
of an oil refinery in Armenia.
The construction of an Iran-Armenia railway link and the possibility
of setting up an Armenian bank in Iran are also being discussed,
Mottaki said.
The minister said that progress in relations between Armenia and Iran
had been noted in all fields. However, the most tangible progress has
been achieved in the energy field. Among the completed successful
projects, he mentioned the construction of the Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline, two power lines and a wind power plant. He said that
bilateral cooperation in the fields of transport, agriculture, banking
and investment, communication and telecommunication, culture, science
and education was also successful.
The minister said that Iran intended to simplify entry to its territory
for Armenian nationals and that to this end, visas would be issued
right on the border.
The Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental commission was set up in 1992.
Armenian Minister of Energy Armen Movsisyan co-chairs it taking
account of the current high level of cooperation in the energy field.