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DETENTE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD?: IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL SEEN AS 'GOOD NEWS' IN ARMENIA
Analysis | 25.11.13 | 09:58
Photo: State Department photo
The historic agreement on Iran's disputed nuclear program that was
reached between the Islamic Republic and six leading world powers after
days of talks in Geneva on Sunday has been taken as 'good news' in
Yerevan. What was announced as the "first-step" agreement essentially
limits Iran's uranium enrichment in exchange for the West's unblocking
Tehran's nearly $8 billion and lifting some sanctions earlier imposed
on Iran's oil exports.
Iran is one of the four neighbors of Armenia and, along with Georgia,
one of two countries that have open borders with Armenia. As the
Geneva talks progressed, Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian was
visiting Yerevan. During his meeting with Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan the Iranian official stated about deepening cooperation
between the two countries in the energy sphere.
The desire of Armenia and Iran to cooperate has, to some extent,
been constrained by the sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic by
the United States and other Western countries. Although the U.S. has
been sympathetic to the desire of landlocked Armenia suffering from
the blockade of Azerbaijan and Turkey to develop relations with Iran,
on two occasions Washington issued quite tough warnings to Armenia
about the use of Iranian banks in Iran as 'middlemen'.
The Geneva agreement and the lifting of sanctions from Iran could
lead to activation in Iranian-Armenian cooperation. It is not without
reason that Armenia was quick to welcome the Geneva agreement with
a statement issued by Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.
"Armenia has always advocated a negotiated, peaceful solution of
the issue. Although the agreement reached is of interim nature, it
paves the way for a comprehensive settlement through efforts of all
negotiating parties," Nalbandian said.
Armenia and Iran have several started, but practically frozen projects
for which it was difficult to attract international investment because
of the sanctions. This includes the construction of a railway,
an oil pipeline, a new high-voltage line and the construction of
a hydroelectric power station on the Arax River. The removal of
international sanctions may lead to activation of these projects. By
the way, this was also discussed during the visit of the Iranian
energy minister to Armenia.
Russia is quite jealous about Armenian-Iranian relations, regarding
them as an alternative to their monopoly on Armenia's energy and some
other markets. In particular, Russia's state-run gas giant Gazprom
was quick to take over the Iran-Armenia pipeline that was commissioned
in 2007 to prevent it from becoming an alternative to Russian natural
gas supplies to Armenia.
Besides, after Armenia made a decision to join the Moscow-led Customs
Union in September, it was announced that Russia intended to invest
in the Iran-Armenia railway and motorway, but the statements were so
vague that few people tend to believe in them. Most experts believe
that Russia simply in advance sought to block the possible foreign
investments in these projects.
Besides the economic component the agreement on Iran has a great
significance in terms of the immediate removal of tensions on the
border with Armenia. Air strikes against Iran, on which Israel still
insists, could have dramatically changed the balance of forces in
the region.
http://www.armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/50332/armenia_iran_nuclear_deal_west_region
Analysis | 25.11.13 | 09:58
Photo: State Department photo
The historic agreement on Iran's disputed nuclear program that was
reached between the Islamic Republic and six leading world powers after
days of talks in Geneva on Sunday has been taken as 'good news' in
Yerevan. What was announced as the "first-step" agreement essentially
limits Iran's uranium enrichment in exchange for the West's unblocking
Tehran's nearly $8 billion and lifting some sanctions earlier imposed
on Iran's oil exports.
Iran is one of the four neighbors of Armenia and, along with Georgia,
one of two countries that have open borders with Armenia. As the
Geneva talks progressed, Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian was
visiting Yerevan. During his meeting with Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan the Iranian official stated about deepening cooperation
between the two countries in the energy sphere.
The desire of Armenia and Iran to cooperate has, to some extent,
been constrained by the sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic by
the United States and other Western countries. Although the U.S. has
been sympathetic to the desire of landlocked Armenia suffering from
the blockade of Azerbaijan and Turkey to develop relations with Iran,
on two occasions Washington issued quite tough warnings to Armenia
about the use of Iranian banks in Iran as 'middlemen'.
The Geneva agreement and the lifting of sanctions from Iran could
lead to activation in Iranian-Armenian cooperation. It is not without
reason that Armenia was quick to welcome the Geneva agreement with
a statement issued by Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.
"Armenia has always advocated a negotiated, peaceful solution of
the issue. Although the agreement reached is of interim nature, it
paves the way for a comprehensive settlement through efforts of all
negotiating parties," Nalbandian said.
Armenia and Iran have several started, but practically frozen projects
for which it was difficult to attract international investment because
of the sanctions. This includes the construction of a railway,
an oil pipeline, a new high-voltage line and the construction of
a hydroelectric power station on the Arax River. The removal of
international sanctions may lead to activation of these projects. By
the way, this was also discussed during the visit of the Iranian
energy minister to Armenia.
Russia is quite jealous about Armenian-Iranian relations, regarding
them as an alternative to their monopoly on Armenia's energy and some
other markets. In particular, Russia's state-run gas giant Gazprom
was quick to take over the Iran-Armenia pipeline that was commissioned
in 2007 to prevent it from becoming an alternative to Russian natural
gas supplies to Armenia.
Besides, after Armenia made a decision to join the Moscow-led Customs
Union in September, it was announced that Russia intended to invest
in the Iran-Armenia railway and motorway, but the statements were so
vague that few people tend to believe in them. Most experts believe
that Russia simply in advance sought to block the possible foreign
investments in these projects.
Besides the economic component the agreement on Iran has a great
significance in terms of the immediate removal of tensions on the
border with Armenia. Air strikes against Iran, on which Israel still
insists, could have dramatically changed the balance of forces in
the region.
http://www.armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/50332/armenia_iran_nuclear_deal_west_region