TEHRAN – Representatives of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA) on Wednesday held a meeting to honor the former Armenian Ambassador to Tehran Artashes Tumanyan who has been recently recalled from his post, TCCIMA portal reported.

Tumanyan, who will soon return to Armenia, has played a significant role in the development of relations between Iran and Armenia’s private sectors in recent years.

Speaking in the meeting which was attended by officials from TCCIMA, the Armenian embassy in Tehran, the Armenian representative in the parliament and a number of businessmen, the TCCIMA Head Masoud Khansari referred to Tumanyan's extensive efforts for improving the economic relations between the private sectors of the two countries and expressed the Iranian private sector’s gratitude for his efforts.

Khansari expressed hope that the new ambassador would also take the approach of developing economic relations between the two countries in order to make significant progress in the trade relations between the two sides by using the provided infrastructure.

“In recent years, a very good relationship has developed between the Tehran Chamber of Commerce and the Armenian embassy, which has led to bilateral cooperation in holding various economic events. Also, the formation of the Iran-Armenia Joint Chamber, chaired by Hervik Yarijanian further facilitated relations between the two sides,” he said.

Khansari further emphasized the need to maintain the established relations, saying: “The relationship between Iran and Armenia has always been a special one. Although sanctions have become an obstacle to further and deeper development of relations, good infrastructure has been established and relations between the two sides have become very deep. The private sector seeks to create more opportunities for the development of economic relations with Armenia, as well as the development of relations with the countries of the region and Eurasia, and even Europe with the participation and cooperation of Armenia.”

Elsewhere in the meeting, Tumanyan also stressed the importance of economic issues which have been the focus of the embassy's activities in recent years, and praised the TCCIMA cooperation in this regard.

According to Tumanyan trade relations between the two countries will boom in the near future.

EF/MA