Speaker of Armenian Parliament to visit Iran

ArmInfo.Vice President of the RA National Assembly Hakob Arshakyan and the Head of the Friendship Group Armenia-Iran Gevorg Papoyan met with the delegation headed by first Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee for National Security  and Foreign Policy of the Majlis of the Islamic Republic of Iran  Abbas Moqtadaye Khurasgani.

As the press service of the of the RA NA reports, welcoming the  members of the delegation visited Armenia within the framework of the  meeting of the Council of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, Hakob  Arshakyan noted that the interparliamentary format is the best  platform for the discussion of issues of mutual interest.

The NA Vice President informed that the official visit of the  delegation led by the RA NA President Alen Simonyan to the Islamic  Republic of Iran is planned next week. "The cooperation of Armenia  and Iran can serve as a good example for the two countries, which are  guided by the agenda of peace, development and dialogue between  civilizations," Hakob Arshakyan said.

The year 2022 is also marked by the 30th anniversary of the  establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia  and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The NA Vice President noted that  there is a high level of relationships between the two countries in  almost all spheres. "Iran considers Armenia as a reliable partner and  a good neighbor.  The relations with Iran are of strategic importance  to us," Hakob Arshakyan underlined.  He referred to the situation  created after the war unleashed by the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem  against Artsakh. According to him, Azerbaijan continues its  provocative actions with overt manifestation of ambition towards the  sovereign territory of Armenia, which endanger the stability and  peace of the whole region.

"The role and potential of Iran in reducing tensions and establishing  stability in the region is obvious, and its clear manifestation is  the clear statement of Iran on the territorial integrity of Armenia,"  Hakob Arshakyan said. He stated that the Armenian community in Iran  actively participates in the social and political life of the  country.

Abbas Moqtadaye Khurasgani thanked for the warm reception. "Iran has  always highlighted the territorial integrity of the countries. Iran  is a large state and a neighbor of about 15 countries. Armenia is a  unique and strategic neighbor for Iran," the first Deputy Chairman of  the Standing Committee for National Security and Foreign Policy of  the Majlis of the Islamic Republic of Iran noted.

The Head of the Friendship Group Armenia-Iran Gevorg Papoyan attached  importance to the interparliamentary cooperation in terms of  strengthening the grounds for mutually beneficial cooperation, which  plays a significant role in mutual understanding and mutual trust  between the two countries. He informed that the trade turnover  between Armenia and Iran increased by about 40% in the first five  months of 2022. According to the Head of the Friendship Group, the  implementation of several major projects in the near future will  contribute to the increase of the indicator.

In particular, issues related to the opportunities for the  development and expansion of the Armenian-Iranian trade turnover were  discussed. The sides referred to the construction and operation of  the North-South road corridor. Issues of mutual interest related to  the possible cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism, mining,  energy, solar energy, nature protection, water resources were  discussed.

It should be noted that at the end of 2021, Armenia increased the  volume of imports from Iran by 37.9% to $437.3 million, while export  deliveries decreased by 22.5% to $65.5 million.