ARMENIA CALLS FOR EXPANSION OF ECONOMIC TIES WITH IRAN

FARS News Agency. Iran
April 12, 2015 Sunday

TEHRAN (FNA)- Armenia’s new Ambassador to Tehran Artashes Tumanyan in
a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif voiced
his country’s willingness to broaden economic ties with Iran.

“During my mission in Iran I will pursue the further expansion of
bilateral economic ties,” Tumanyan said during the meeting.

The Iranian foreign minister, for his part, pointed to Iran-Armenia
close relations and the two countries’ abundant cultural and historical
commonalities, and said, “It is necessary for Iran and Armenia to
broaden their relations in different areas.”

In late January, Zarif in a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister
Hovik Abrahamyan in Yerevan underlined that Tehran sees no boundary
for the expansion of relations with Armenia.

“Iran is ready to cooperate with Armenia in different areas, including
telecommunications, railway, energy, gas, electricity and cleaning
of Aras River,” Zarif said during the meeting in the Armenian capital.

The Iranian foreign minister underlined that Tehran sees no limitation
for broadening relations with Yerevan.

Zarif pointed to the visit of Abrahamyan to Tehran, and thanked the
Armenian prime minister for his efforts to develop mutual cooperation
with Iran.

The Iranian foreign minister voiced his pleasure in the membership
of Armenia in the Eurasia alliance, and expressed the hope that the
membership would help to the expansion of Yerevan’s bilateral ties
with Tehran.

The Armenian prime minister, for his part, pointed to the status quo
of Armenia-Iran relations, and said, “The two countries are having
high-level political relations, but we should also try to expand the
level of economic ties.”

Abrahamyan also vowed to do his best to remove the problems of the
Iranian prisoners in Armenian jails.

He referred to the role of Iranian businessmen in the expansion of
Iran-Armenia relations, and said, “We can have joint agricultural
products and export our goods to the Euro-Asia member-states.”

Iran and Armenia have taken major strides towards widening and
deepening of their relations in recent years, particularly in the
economic sector.

In October, Abrahamyan, heading a high-ranking delegation, visited
Iran to confer with senior officials of the country on ways to develop
all-out ties.

Abrahamyan held meetings with a number of high-ranking Iranian
officials, including Zarif, during which they exchanged views on the
growing trend of the development of bilateral relations in all areas,
specially in economic, trade, infrastructures and tourism fields,
and underscored the necessity for removing the existing obstacles.

They also called for continued reciprocal visits by Iranian and
Armenian officials to consult and exchange views on the bilateral
relations and other issues of mutual interest.