YEREVAN. – President Armen Sarkissian on Monday received Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who has arrived in Armenia to participate in the enlarged meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), as head of an invited country.
“Interesting times are coming, but we [Armenians and Iranians] have lived interesting times together for thousands of years,” Sarkissian told Rouhani. “And if people around the world are seeking examples of friendly, fraternal relations, the history of our peoples is a good example of that. As president of the republic, I’m ready to make my small contribution to this great cause.”
“Fortunately, very close and intimate relations have been established between Armenia and Iran for centuries,” the Iranian president noted, for his part. “I’m very happy that Armenia is presiding over a very important event today, and I’m the guest of that event.”
The tête-à-tête of the two presidents was followed by an extended meeting with the participation of the delegations of the two countries.
“We had a very interesting conversation, the main idea of which is that Iran-Armenia relations have a lot more potential than we can tap,” President Sarkissian said, welcoming the high-level Iranian delegation. He added that the Armenian President’s Office is ready to contribute to further deepen and strengthen the historical and friendly relations between the two countries.
“Tomorrow, Armenia will preside over an important event that will be attended by leaders of the region and countries outside the region,” Iranian President Rouhani said in his remarks. “We are very pleased with the friendly and neighborly relations between Armenia and Iran. The Eurasian Economic Union will strengthen that cooperation. In a month or so, we will practically enter in the phase of establishing relations with the EAEU. Of course, this cooperation can further strengthen our trade and economic relations.”
Furthermore, the Iranian president expressed the hope that the Yerevan conference will promote not only cooperation with the EAEU member states, but also closer relations with Armenia.
During the meeting the sides exchanged views on the Armenian-Iranian agenda and various matters related to relations between the two countries. The presidents of the two countries agreed that Iran and Armenia have much greater potential for cooperation than is actually tapped. It was noted that the visa-free regime between the two countries has contributed to the development of their bilateral relations and tourism. In the development of their trade and economic relations, the presidents considered important the effective work of free economic zones.
Noting that Armenia has great potential for environmentally friendly energy, President Sarkissian said that cooperation in the field of energy could be much broader, and suggested paying more attention to these domains, especially since Iran has great success in the field of solar energy. Referring to the transport sector, the Armenian president noted that by modernizing the highway connecting Armenia with Iran, the transportation will significantly increase.
Also, the interlocutors spoke with great praise about the Iranian Armenian community, and stressed its great part in strengthening the bilateral interstate relations.
