LEADER LAUDS IRAN-ARMENIA TIES

Fars News Agency
April 14 2009
Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed
Ali Khamenei viewed relations between Iran and Armenia as "very good",
and stressed the need for the further bolstering of ties between the
two neighboring states.

In a meeting with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan here in Tehran
on Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei urged implementation of the agreements
already signed by the two sides.

The Leader underlined that expansion of ties between neighboring
countries reinvigorates their internal solidity and boosts their
invulnerability, and cautioned, "The big powers seek to block growth
of regional bonds under different pretexts."

The Iranian government and nation have enthusiastically welcomed
expansion of amicable ties with the Armenian nation and government,
said the Supreme Leader and lauded the significant role of Armenian
religious minority in Iran in various fields.

The Supreme Leader also said that the idea of establishing tranquility
between Armenia and its neighbors is an excellent one which should
be materialized.

The Armenian president, for his part, conveyed the warm greetings of
the Armenian people to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution,
and voiced readiness to expand all-out ties with Iran.

"We are quite sure of a bright and promising future for ties between
the two nations," he said during the meeting, where Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also present.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has adopted a rational and logical
approach to regional developments, he said, describing Iran as a
country with firm determination.