ArmInfo.According to the trilateral ceasefire statement between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the transit road (section of the Goris-Kapan road, Ed. note) should have had its previous status before the completion of construction of the bypass road. Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri stated this in an interview with the Tasnim news agency, referring to the Iran-Armenia relations, as well as the development in the Caucasus and on the North-South transit road.
Thus, according to the diplomat, the relations between Iran and Armenia were good and at the highest level since the RA gained independence. "However, in parallel with good political relations between the two countries, we have not achieved the desired results in the economic dimension, as expected given the existing potential."
At the same time, he stated that after Nikol Pashinyan came to power in 2018, a new foreign policy was announced. "Three years ago, when Pashinyan's revolution took place, new prospects opened up, and the view of the new RA government was mainly directed at the development of Armenia. But it came to war, and the implementation of the planned plans in the direction of development was difficult. This development process continued with the re-election of Pashinyan, "he noted, adding that during the period of Pashinyan's rule, Armenian-Iranian relations developed in all directions.
At the same time, Badakhshan Zohouri pointed to the low volume of trade between the two countries, adding that the holding of Iranian exhibitions in Armenia contributes to the stimulation of bilateral trade.
Referring to the construction of a transit road from south to north, the diplomat, in particular, said: "We have a route from the Indian Ocean to the port of Chabahar and the Persian Gulf, and then the Julfa- Armenia-Georgia railway route and to the Black Sea, which is safe. This is a very suitable route for trade exchange, and countries along this route can make good use of its advantages. "
At the same time, the Iranian ambassador assured that the construction of an alternative transit road is currently under way (bypassing the 21 km section of the Goris-Kapan road in the Syunik region of the RA - Ed. note).
He also did not rule out Iran's participation in the construction of a 60 km bypass road through the city of Sisian in the Syunik region of the Republic of Armenia. According to the ambassador, this road will become the shortest path, and the Armenian government is seriously striving to build it. Badakhshan Zohouri also added that negotiations on Iran's participation in the construction of this section are still ongoing.
The diplomat also touched upon the obstacles that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces created on the South- North transit road. "21 km of this road on the Goris-Kapan section now belongs to the Republic of Azerbaijan according to the old Soviet maps. However, according to the agreements on a trilateral ceasefire statement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is assumed that this road will have the previous status until the construction of the new road is completed. But, unfortunately, we saw that some time ago the road was closed for two days for the first time, and then after its opening, Iranian trucks are charged a toll, "the ambassador said, adding that Tehran expected that Baku will wait until the construction of the alternative road was completed and would not charge a fee for the section that Iran had used for the past 30 years, paying a fee upon arrival in Armenia.
The diplomat also stressed that the Iranian Embassy in Armenia is taking a number of measures to resolve these problems as soon as possible, including in notes sent to the Armenian government.
The head of the Iranian diplomatic mission also believes that today Armenia does not pay serious attention to the issue of its independence and this is due not only to the fact that it has serious support from Russia, which controls most of the Armenian infrastructure. Badakhshan Zohouri believes that the western aspirations of Armenia will increase in the future, which is among other things due to the large Armenian Diaspora in the United States and Europe.