SOUTH CAUCASUS IN FOCUS OF GLOBAL FOREIGN POLICY AGENDA
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.07.2008
The Prime Minister made a point of strengthening and expanding the
existing bilateral ties of friendship and cooperation by stressing
that much has to be done yet in this area, and that the government
of Armenia is coming up with initiatives aimed at identifying such
new areas of interaction. With reference to the ongoing successful
cooperation in energy, transport, agriculture and other sectors, the
prime minister of Armenia and the Iranian first deputy foreign minister
said it to be conditional upon the two countries’ well-sustained
and reliable partnership, based on the centuries-old friendship and
historical-cultural affinities between the two peoples.
To begin with, Alireza Sheikhattar conveyed warm greetings and a desire
for having substantial discussions over bilateral economic exchanges
on behalf of Tigran Sargsyan’s Iranian counterpart, First Deputy
President Mr. Davoodi; "Relations between the two countries have been
developing quite successfully since Armenia’s independence. The IRI
has always stood by Armenia in time of hardship, and this is natural
as a politically stable and prosperous Armenia may be instrumental in
ensuring peace and economic development in the region," First Deputy
Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran has underscored.
Although rich in geopolitical and historical-cultural resources,
extending from Caucasus as far as the Persian Gulf and the Middle
East, nowadays our region has become one of most tense regions of
the world. With this in mind, Mr. Sheikhattar said to be convinced
that it is now the focus of global foreign policy agenda.
As for the activation of economic exchanges between our two countries,
Alireza Sheikhattar emphasized the design of an appropriate legal
framework susceptible to attract investments and boost ties between the
respective business circles. He briefed the Armenian Prime Minister on
banking sector liberalization-oriented measures currently underway
in Iran and suggested discussing the possibilities for eventual
interaction in this sphere. To provide for enhanced efficiency of such
interaction, the IRI First Deputy Foreign Minister offered to set up
working groups responsible for identifying the existing bottlenecks and
formulating ways for a speedy implementation of joint programs. The
Prime Minister of Armenia took the point of his guest by saying that
the working groups can start operating as soon as relevant candidates
are named on either side through diplomatic channels.