‘IRAN KEEN TO BOOST TIES WITH ARMENIA’
Press TV
June 1 2011
Iran
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told Armenian Minister of
Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisian that Iran is eager to
expand its cooperation with Armenia.
Iran sees no obstacle in the way of boosting ties with Armenia at
the highest level, Ahmadinejad said at a meeting with Movsisian in
Tehran on Tuesday, IRNA reported.
He pointed to his upcoming visit to Armenia and expressed hope that
the two countries’ officials would adopt appropriate strategies to
consolidate their bilateral cooperation.
Beginning on June 6, the Iranian president is scheduled to pay
an official two-day visit to Armenia to discuss ways to expand
Tehran-Yerevan relations in various spheres.
The Armenian energy minister expressed optimism about the prospects
for increased economic cooperation between Iran and Armenia and said
the implementation of joint projects would be beneficial for the two
countries and the region.
The meeting came a day after Iran and Armenia inked memorandums of
understanding in Tehran to expand economic ties in the energy, trade,
banking, and transportation sectors.
After signing the MOUs, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said,
“In 2010, trade between Iran and Armenia increased by 38 percent,
bilateral trade between the two sides currently stands at 270
million dollars, and we are now the fourth biggest economic partner
of Armenia.”