SERZH SARGSYAN: ARMENIA CONSIDERS IRAN AS RELIABLE NEIGHBOR AND FRIEND OF HARD DAYS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 14, 2009
TEHRAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s two-day
official visit to Iran started on April 13.
The tete-a-tete talk of S. Sargsyan and IRI President Mahmud
Ahmadinejad took place after the official meeting ceremony at Mehrabad
airport, after which the negotiations continued in an extended staff.
The two Presidents highly assessed the Armenian-Iranian friendly
relations saying that they have prospects for development, expressed
satisfaction with the current level of political dialogue, emphasized
their readiness of further expansion of interstate relations noting
that such visits and high-level contacts give a possibility to
discuss and to give solutions to various problems regarding the
Armenian-Iranian rich agenda.
S. Sargsyan emphasized that Armenia attaches a special importance
to dynamic expansion of relations with Iran considering Iran as a
reliable neighbor having pivotal importance and a "friend of hard
days." He thanked for friendly assistance provided in the first years
of independence, as well as in the issue of exporting goods of first
necessity through the territory of Iran in the days of August events.
M. Ahmadinejad, in his turn, classed deepening of permanently stable
relations with Armenia as one of his country’s important foreign
priorities.
"We should keep and enlarge our achievements," the IRI President said.
S. Sargsyan and M. Ahmadinejad emphasized that Armenian-Iranian
cooperation having a history of thousands of years contributes to
strengthening of peace and stability in the region. "Discussion of
big infrastructural programs is evidence of our vision of further
expansion and deepening of friendly relations. I am sure that
the agreements reached on the discussed issues will be turned into
documents, the fulfillment of which will result in further deepening
of our friendship," S. Sargsyan said.
The two countries’ Presidents attached importance to the serious
role of Iranian Armenian community in the issue of strengthening of
Armenian-Iranian friendship.
The interlocutors discussed issues regarding further expansion of trade
and economic cooperation, increasing volumes of commodity circulation,
construction of Iran-Armenia railway, construction of joint HPPs
on river Araks, various programs of bilateral interest in energy,
transport, and trade spheres, touched upon regional problems during
the Armenian-Iranian high-level negotiations.
At M. Ahmadinejad’s request S. Sargsyan informed him about the
Armenian-Turkish political dialogue and latest developments in the
process of Nagorno Karabakh peaceful settlement. The sides attached
importance to settlement of all problems peacefully, through
negotiations considering cooperation, peace, and stability as an
important precondition for well-being and prosperity of the peoples in
the region. S. Sargsyan thanked the Iranian President for the permanent
balanced approach in the issue of Nagorno Karabakh settlement.
The same day S. Sargsyan met with Chairman of IRI Majlis Ali
Larijani. The interlocutors highly assessed the activity of the
Armenian-Iranian deputy friendship group attaching importance
to the role of interparliamentary cooperation in the issue of
strengthening and developing friendship between the two countries
and peoples. Touching upon programs discussed during the high-level
negotiations, Ali Larijani said that they are realistic and realizable.
According to the report of the RA President’s Press Office, Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources,
Co-chairman of the Armenian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission
Armen Movsisian, Minister of Transport and Communication Gurgen
Sargsian, Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian, Minister of Economy
Nerses Yeritsian, NA deputies, CBA Chairman Artur Javadian, General
Executive Director of the Armrosgazprom company Karen Karapetian,
and other officials are included in the delegation led by S. Sargsyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
