TEHRAN (IRNA)—Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Armenia’s Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian, who was visiting Iran, said Saturday that Armenia and Iran should strengthen ties.
During a meeting with Nalbandian, Ahmadinejad pointed to the available potentials for the enhancement of Iran-Armenia ties and said, “Trade with neighbors is always the best [form of] trade, which is beneficial both for the establishment and promotion of security, peace and friendship and to regional countries.”
Ahmadinejad also said that Tehran-Yerevan ties could be enhanced promptly as Iran considers no limits on its relations with Armenia.
Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi also met with his Armenian counterpart in Tehran.
Salehi described Iran’s ties with Armenia as “strategic,” stressing the need to continue negotiations on the expansion of bilateral relations.
He congratulated his counterpart on the 20th anniversary of the Armenia’s independence and described having good relations with neighbors as one of Tehran’s foreign policy priorities.
Salehi urged the continuation of negotiations with Armenia over mutual issues and regional developments and expressed Iran’s readiness to cooperate with the Armenian government in the transportation and energy sectors as well as in the fields of politics and culture.
Nalbandian, for his part, voiced satisfaction with Tehran-Yerevan relations and formally invited the Iranian foreign minister to visit Armenia.
The Armenian foreign minister also stressed the role of Iran in establishing stability and security in Central Asia and discussed the latest developments in the Caucasus, including the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Iran and Armenia have taken major strides toward promoting mutual relations in the past few years.
The bilateral trade volume between the two states stands at nearly $270 million, according to the Armenian foreign minister.
The ministers also discussed the work of the Armenian -Iranian intergovernmental commission which has an important role in elaborating and implementing of economic cooperation and joint projects.
Start building the railroad!
Salehi described Iran’s ties with Armenia as “strategic,” stressing the need to continue negotiations on the expansion of bilateral relations.
Comment –
The only interesst Iran has with Armenia is the conflict against the Turks.
Så Armenia be Caughtious and use it to your own benefit,
but Iran will also be a looser after Turkey has become obsolet.
Arn.Sweden.
It is better to trade than to fight. As long as Iran is not oppressing the Armenians, we have no problems with them. In fact Iran, to my surprise, allocates money every year to restoration of ancient Armenian churches and monastic institutions. The Turks and Tatars destroy ours. The diference is that Iran is an ancient civilization (emphasis on civilization) while the Turks and Tatars are 1000 years behind the times culturally. It’s like dealing with Gengis Khan.
I wish every other Muslim country was as loving with us as our southerly neighbor, Iran. Unfortunately it has been the Muslims in most other Islamic countries that have nurtured the most hatred towards us Christians. Ahmadinajad is derided here but he definitely has proved the Iranians’ humanity with the Armenians. Iranian Muslims have always been good to us. I wish every other Muslim was an Iranian Muslim.