NO RELATIONSHIP TO ARMENIA
Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Oct 23 2007
Armenia
"At the request of the Iranian side, there were certain changes in the
schedule of the IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s official visit to
Armenia. The changes were probably due to domestic issues. A number
of visits were removed from the schedule, and the President left for
the Islamic Republic of Iran at 12 p.m. I have talked to the Deputy
Minister, and he reported that some changes had occurred; there
were urgent issues and they had to depart," Deputy Foreign Minister
Gegham Gharibjanyan, former RA Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of
Iran said yesterday, commenting upon the IRI President’s returning
to his homeland ahead of the schedule and his not participating in
several events.
According to the schedule of the IRI President’s official visit,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was to have laid a flower wreath in the
Tsistsernakaberd Memorial complex, visited the Blue Mosque of Yerevan
and made a speech in the National Assembly yesterday.
In response to different comments made by the journalists,
G. Gharibjanyan said that the Iranian party had changed the schedule
and departed, having serious arguments, "which I cannot report to the
journalists." "The reasons have been reported to our Government; they
have no relationship to Armenia," Deputy Foreign Minister mentioned.
Estimating the IRI President’s official visit to Armenia,
G. Gharibjanyan considered it "very successful". "There is a
considerable progress with regard to serious economic projects. We
speak about the oil pipeline, discuss issues regarding the railroad,
and there will be serious investments especially in the field of
energy."
In response to the journalists’ concern about the IRI President’s not
visiting Tststernakaberd, Deputy Foreign Minister reminded them that
during his 2004 official visit to Armenia the former IRI President
Mohamad Khatami had visited Tsitsternakaberd and paid a tribute of
respect to the memory of the Genocide victims.