Armenian president: Tehran-Yerevan ties not limited to words

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Aug 11 2017


Armenian president: Tehran-Yerevan ties not limited to words



Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said on Tuesday that Yerevan’s
amicable relations with Tehran are not limited to words.

President Sargsyan who is to visit Tehran to attend President Hassan
Rouhani's swearing-in ceremony on August 5, said in an exclusive
interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that the
long-standing Iran-Armenia relations is a great guarantee for further
promotion of bilateral ties.

The two nations can promote a bright prospect for consolidating future
ties and remove obstacles to develop all-out cooperation, he said.

According to reports, a high-ranking delegation, including Foreign
Minister Eduard Nalbandyan, Minister of Energy Infrastructures and
Natural Resources Ashot Manukyan, are expected to accompany the
Armenian President in his visit to Tehran.

Very few nations have managed to maintain ties over a long time,
standing by each other in the course of the millennia-old history and
continuing their close engagement up to the present time based on
mutual respect, Sargsyan said, referring to the long history of
Tehran-Yerevan relations.

Armenia and Iran are certainly keen on consolidating friendly ties, he said.

President Sargsyan, answering a question on Armenia’s plans for
promoting bilateral relations with Iran, said that Yerevan is taking
practical steps to help realize joint economic plans between the two
countries.

The two neighboring nations see no limits to enhancing bilateral relations.

He also expressed satisfaction over the current high-level diplomatic
relations between Tehran and Yerevan. However, he remained critical of
the two countries' economic ties, arguing they lag behind diplomatic
relations between the two countries.

The two countries enjoy great potentials for boosting bilateral trade
and economic relations which have so far remained untapped, said the
Armenian President.

Commenting on construction of the Armenian segment of the Persian
Gulf-Black Sea International Transport Corridor, Sargsyan said the
project has a reasonable regional justification and would help develop
infrastructures of Armenia, Iran, Georgia, Bulgaria and Greece as well
as other countries along its route.

As to the natural gas and electrical power swap deals between Iran and
Armenia constituting one of the main areas of cooperation between the
two countries, the Armenian President said that natural gas and
electricity swap is significant not only in terms of economic
profitability but also in terms of security.

Touching upon investment by the Iranian companies in Armenia, he said
that Yerevan attaches great importance to engagement of Iranian firms
in development of infrastructural projects in the country.

Grounds are prepared for the activity of Iranian companies across the
country, the Armenian President said.

Asked about Iran-Armenia cooperation on maintaining peace and
stability in Caucasus, President Sargysan said that Iran has always
advocated finding peaceful solutions for all disputes through
political talks.

Yerevan appreciates Tehran’s principled and moderate stance in
addressing Karabakh dispute, he said.

The Karabakh dispute started between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 1988.
Despite an agreement of ceasefire in 19994, the two sides have not
signed any peace agreement. Clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani
troops in the disputed region, in eastern Armenia and Southwestern
Azerbaijan, has claimed thousands of lives.

Responding to a question about the result of cooperation between Iran,
Armenia and Russia on regional and international peace and stability,
Sargysan said that the three nations are friendly countries both in
bilateral and trilateral levels and their peaceful policies in the
region serve as a strong support for peace and stability, while it
represents a strong barrier against extremism.

They are unanimous in promoting regional security and creating a firm
front in the fight against terrorism, he said.

The Armenian President also denounced promotion of Islamophobia,
noting that similar to other phenomenon which instills hatred towards
others, Islamophobia is an unacceptable matter.


Iran-Armenia relations are clear example of excellent ties between
Christian and Muslim states and it can serve as a role model for other
countries, he said.

Sargsyan also emphasized on the importance of tourism ties between
Iran and Armenia and described it as a way to bring closer the two
nations.

'The more the people of Iran and Armenia understand each other, the
more they can trust and this would create an appropriate ground for
implementing joint projects in different arenas,' he added.

According to the President, opening office for Halal food products in
Yerevan is among the steps taken by the Armenian authorities to host
Iranian tourists.