Potential of Armenian-Iranian integration not fully realized

YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. The potential of Armenian-Iranian
integration has not been fully realized, stated Armen Darbinyan, Rector
of the Armenian-Russian (Slavonic) University (RAU).

`We have been speaking of Armenian-Iranian projects for ten, or even
for 15, years and although they are closer to being launched than ten
years ago, we would like to see them more dynamic,’ Darbinyan stated at
the conference `Global financial and economic crisis: genesis and
prospects’ held at the RAU.

Among the projects he included an Iran-Armenia products pipe line,
construction of an oil refinery, a railway, as well as the construction
and joint operation of a hydro-power plant on the Araks river.

RA Minister of Transport and Communications Gurgen Sargsyan and Iranian
Minister of Road and Transportation Hamid Bihbahani signed a final
agreement on the construction of an Armenia-Iran railway in Teheran
this April. The agreement was signed during a visit paid to Iran by an
Armenian delegation headed by RA President Serzh Sargsyan.

RA Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan stated
earlier that the construction project for the Meghry HPP on the Araks
River, which is estimated at $240mln, had been launched, with design
work being in progress.

The construction project for an Iran-Armenia products pipe line has
been launched as well, and field
operation is under way.–0–