RA DEFENCE MINISTER CONSIDERS POSSIBLE MILITARY-TECHNICAL COOPERATION WITH IRAN

Noyan Tapan
Nov 8, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. A Memorandum on Mutual Understanding
On Cooperation in the Defence Sphere was signed on November 8 between
the RA Defence Ministry and the Iranian Ministry of Defence and
Armed Forces Logistics. The document was signed by Ministers Mikayel
Haroutiunian and Mostafa Mohammad Najjar. Negotiations between the two
Ministers with participation of the delegations led by them preceded
the ceremony of memorandum’s signing.

M. Haroutiunian said at the press conference dedicated to the results
of M. Mohammad Najjar’s three-day official visit to Yerevan (November
6-8) that a number of bilateral, regional problems and those of
mutual interest were discussed at the two-stage negotiations with
his Iranian counterpart. "We hold the same opinion in the issue of
settling conflicts in the region through negotiations and dialogue,
by peace, and hope that all regional countries will undertake adequate
steps in this direction," the RA Defence Minister said.

According to him, some steps were undertaken in the direction of
deepening cooperation between the Zinap company of the RA Defence
Ministry and the ETCA company of the Iranian Ministry of Defence and
Armed Forces Logistics in the sphere of foodstuffs and property supply.

M. Haroutiunian said that though there are no certain programs of
military-technical cooperation as yet, there is already a need to
consider the issue of launching them. "When we consider, we will come
to a common conclusion, will say over what military-technical issues
we can cooperate," the RA Defence Minister emphasized.

M. Mohammad Najjar, in his turn, said that struggle against
terrorism, proliferation of arms of mass extermination, exclusion
of geopolitical monopolarization are the axes of Iran’s foreign
policy and the inseparable principles of that country’s defence
diplomacy. According to him, deepening of relations between Iran and
Armenia will contribute to regional security, establishment of peace
and stability. "The regional problems can be solved with the very
participation of the regional countries through peaceful negotiations:
presence of foreigners and forces being outside the region will only
multiply the problems," the Iranian Minister of Defence and Armed
Forces Logistics stated.