Iranian Ambassador: Armenia-Iran political consultations reached  unprecedented high level

ArmInfo. Political consultations between Armenia and Iran have reached an unprecedented level. Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, Ambassador Extraordinary and  Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of  Armenia, stated this on February 9 during a conference on he opic "  Armenian-Iranian Relations in the Context of Common Interests ".

In particular, the diplomat noted that over the past year, almost all  high-ranking officials of both countries held at least one meeting,  the exchange of views continued in different directions. In this  regard, Ambassador Zohuri noted that the continuity of these  processes is very important.

Recalling that the new government of Iran began its activities in the  summer of 2021, he stressed that the state began to pay great  attention to the formation of even better relations with its  neighbors. The Ambassador noted that the regional and international  processes in recent years have given a new impetus to the  Armenian-Iranian relations.

He drew attention to the fact that the heads of both countries adhere  to a common position on such fundamental issues as the need to  respect internationally recognized territories, the peaceful  resolution of disputes, respect for the rights and security of  peoples in the region and common efforts to have a stable and  peaceful region.

Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri also stressed that the new free trade  agreement between Iran and the EAEU will further strengthen  cooperation between Armenia and Iran in this  sector.

" Broad cooperation in infrastructural matters is fundamental for the  expansion of economic relations between the two countries," the  Ambassador said, recalling the agreement reached on the exchange of  electricity. At the same time, Zohouri expressed hope that the  situation with transport routes will also change significantly in the  coming years.

He reminded that the RA government was consistent in its efforts to  provide an alternative road when problems arose on the Goris-Kapa  road in the summer of 2021. According to the Ambassador, his incident  proved that there is a need for convenient and safe roads.

He expressed confidence that convenient and high-quality roads  connecting Armenia and Iran will enhance the positions of the two  countries in the international arena. "Threats against international  transport communications passing through Armenia and Iran are not  only threats against our two countries, but other beneficiaries of  these transport routes will also perceive them as threats ," Zohouri  said.

He also noted that the elite and society of both countries should be  consistent and promote the development of relations between the  countries.  The ambassador, in turn, expressed his willingness to  provide multifaceted support in the cultural sector, in deepening and  expanding the relations between the intelligentsia and the media.

It should be noted that according to the RA Statistical Committee, in  2022, the foreign trade turnover between Armenia and Iran amounted to  $710.8 million, which is 41.2% higher than a year ago. In particular,  exports increased by 69.7% to $111.2 million, imports - by 36.9% to  $599.6 million