EXPERT SAYS IRAN-ARMENIA SHARE NEW PHASE OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION
Panorama.am
15/05/2012
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Iran held a meeting within
the framework of ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM) Coordinating Bureau (COB) in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Panorama.am reporter talked to expert of Iranian studies Rudik Yaralian
focusing on the Armenian-Iranian relations.
-Mister Yaralian, how would you comment on Iranian Foreign
Minister A Salehi's statement that the two countries should work in
peace and mutual understanding to avoid misinterpretations? Did a
misinterpretation happen after Armenian FM E Nalbandian's visit to
Tehran on April 29?
-I'm thinking that Salehi's words have been misinterpreted. Now Iran
and Armenia are sharing a new phase of economic cooperation. Besides,
Iran-Armenia oil pipeline and railway projects are on the agenda and
Russian companies' pursuit contributes to the growing significance
of those projects in the region. However, Iranian FM did not focus
on those "misinterpretations" in his further thoughts.
-Could it be concluded that Armenia's complementary foreign policy is
no longer fresh and that Armenia is to choose among geopolitical camps?
-Friendly relations with neighbors should not bare any foreign
negative impact; before describing those relations as geo-political,
they should be observed as a vital factor ensuring the countries'
persistence and survival. This concerns Armenia in particular which
appeared in blockade due to its two neighbors - Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Hence, friendly relations with Iran should first of all be observed
from the national security point, and refrain from making it a topic
of geo-political interests.
Panorama.am
15/05/2012
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Iran held a meeting within
the framework of ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM) Coordinating Bureau (COB) in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Panorama.am reporter talked to expert of Iranian studies Rudik Yaralian
focusing on the Armenian-Iranian relations.
-Mister Yaralian, how would you comment on Iranian Foreign
Minister A Salehi's statement that the two countries should work in
peace and mutual understanding to avoid misinterpretations? Did a
misinterpretation happen after Armenian FM E Nalbandian's visit to
Tehran on April 29?
-I'm thinking that Salehi's words have been misinterpreted. Now Iran
and Armenia are sharing a new phase of economic cooperation. Besides,
Iran-Armenia oil pipeline and railway projects are on the agenda and
Russian companies' pursuit contributes to the growing significance
of those projects in the region. However, Iranian FM did not focus
on those "misinterpretations" in his further thoughts.
-Could it be concluded that Armenia's complementary foreign policy is
no longer fresh and that Armenia is to choose among geopolitical camps?
-Friendly relations with neighbors should not bare any foreign
negative impact; before describing those relations as geo-political,
they should be observed as a vital factor ensuring the countries'
persistence and survival. This concerns Armenia in particular which
appeared in blockade due to its two neighbors - Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Hence, friendly relations with Iran should first of all be observed
from the national security point, and refrain from making it a topic
of geo-political interests.