During his official visit to Armenian capital Yerevan, in addition to meeting with the Armenian prime minister, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian plans to sign nine memorandums including in culture, art, and trade, reports Tasnim News Agency.

Speaking about the details of the visit, Iranian president’s chief of staff Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei noted that despite linguistic and cultural differences, Iran and Armenia are part of a shared civilization. According to him, in line with a survey conducted, 85% of the Armenian population has a positive attitude towards Iran. He added that during Iran's 12-day defense against Israel, the residents of Armenia closely followed the events and expressed joy over Iran's victories.

He added that during the aforesaid visit, meetings were held with Iranians living in Yerevan, as well as a visit to the Blue Mosque, which is one of the oldest mosques with a centuries-old history. In addition, a meeting with the prime minister of Armenia is planned, within the framework of which nine memorandums of cooperation will be signed in culture, cinema, museum exchanges, and trade cooperation.

Haji-Mirzaei emphasized that one of the main objectives of this visit is a joint meeting with Iranian and Armenian businessmen. A group of Iranian businessmen arrived in Yerevan Monday and have already started negotiations with their Armenian colleagues. Tomorrow, this meeting will continue with the participation of the president of Iran and the prime minister of Armenia, and will conclude with the adoption of a joint statement.

Speaking about economic cooperation with Armenia, the chief of staff of the Iranian president noted: “In the field of trade, we pay attention to both the barter transaction model and the development of border activities between the two countries. Last year, trade between Iran and Armenia registered growth, but still needs further expansion. The development of trade cooperation is one of the main objectives of this visit.”

And speaking about Iran’s political and regional cooperation with Armenia, he noted: “We [i.e. Iran] believe that the region should not be a sphere of influence of foreign powers. The peoples and countries of the region are capable of solving their own problems, and during this visit we will convey our concerns and views on the issue. We hope that the development of cooperation will lead to the further strengthening of relations between the countries of the region."