Armenia and Iran have established cooperation within the framework of the Gas for Electricity project, and Iran is considering importing electricity from Armenia and increasing natural gas exports to that country. This was stated by Iranian ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani during an international conference on Thursday.

“Armenia needs energy resources, and Iran can meet these needs,” Sobhani added.

According to him, the economies of Armenia and Iran are closely interconnected and complement each other.

“We [i.e. Iran] can provide energy resources, connect Armenia with the global south, India, the Chabahar port, the Persian Gulf, help establish connections with Central Asia, Iraq. Armenia, in turn, can connect Iran with the north, with the Black Sea—taking into account that it is located in the middle of the North-South corridor,” said the Iranian envoy to Armenia.

In his assessment, Armenia can play a major role also in Iran’s access to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) markets.

“We [i.e. Iran] view Armenia not only as a 3-million-strong market, but also as a platform for entering the 200-million-strong market of the EAEU,” he added.

Sobhani noted that public opinion in Armenia towards Iran is very positive compared to the opinion towards other countries. The diplomat linked this to Iran’s special relations with Armenia and the close ties between the two countries.

Also, he recalled that the Armenian community in Iran plays a major role in the country’s economy and culture.