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Iran's Khatami Pledges Closer Ties With Armenia

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  • Iran's Khatami Pledges Closer Ties With Armenia

    Iran's Khatami Pledges Closer Ties With Armenia
    By Armen Zakarian and Ruzanna Khachatrian 09/09/2004 09:22

    Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
    Sept 9 2004

    Iran's President Mohammad Khatami described on Wednesday his country's
    relationship with Armenia as a benchmark of peaceful co-existence and
    cooperation between neighbors on the first day of an official visit
    to Yerevan where he was given a red-carpet reception.

    Khatami was greeted at Yerevan airport by virtually all members of
    Armenia's ruling cabinet before going into talks with President Robert
    Kocharian. The two leaders signed a framework treaty on bilateral
    cooperation which they said will further strengthen political and
    economic links between the two nations.

    They also presided over the signing of several other agreements
    covering the energy sector, customs administration and culture.

    "The relationship between the Armenian and Iranian peoples can serve
    as the best example for all those who want to live side by side and
    respect each other's sovereignty," Khatami declared at an ensuing
    joint news conference with Kocharian.

    "We have felt obliged to establish and deepen relations with Armenia
    since its independence," he said. "Every year that followed 1991 saw
    a further development of our relations. The agreements signed today
    give us hope that they will continue to deepen in the future."

    "I declare that this relationship is to the benefit of the sides but
    not to the detriment of anybody else," Khatami added in an apparent
    bid to allay concerns expressed by other regional states.

    Neighboring Azerbaijan has been the most vocal critic of that
    cooperation. Many Azerbaijani politicians openly accuse the
    Islamic Republic of effectively siding with Christian Armenia in
    the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Iran has always denied such claims,
    with Khatami stressing during a visit to Baku last month that Tehran
    recognizes Azerbaijani sovereignty over the disputed region.

    "We are ready to make every effort to help resolve crises existing
    in the region, including Nagorno-Karabakh, and to contribute to
    the establishment of a lasting peace and stability in the region,"
    Khatami said in a speech at the Armenian parliament later in the day.


    Iran is widely regarded in Armenia as a vital geopolitical partner
    and having close ties with the Islamic Republic is among few subjects
    of consensus in the Armenian political arena. The Armenian opposition
    underlined this fact when deputies representing it briefly suspended
    their boycott of parliament sessions to hear Khatami's speech.

    Kocharian, meanwhile, said that Armenia and Iran should pay
    particular attention to developing their economic cooperation. He
    singled out the energy sector where the two nations plan to implement
    multimillion-dollar joint projects.

    The biggest of them is the construction of a pipeline that will
    ship Iranian natural gas to Armenia and possibly other countries. An
    agreement on the implementation of the $120 million project was signed
    by the two governments in Yerevan last May.

    Armenia's ambassador to Tehran, Gegham Gharibjanian, told RFE/RL this
    week that work on the Iranian section of the pipeline is already
    underway and will soon begin on the Armenian side. Energy Minister
    Armen Movsisian had said earlier that the Armenian government will
    receive a $30 million loan from Iran to finance the construction of
    the Armenian section.

    Despite the energy projects, the volume of Armenian-Iranian trade
    has steadily declined in recent years and made up only 3.5 percent
    of Armenia's external commercial exchange last year.
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