The construction of the north-south corridor is a necessity for Iran and Armenia to establish national and regional security and develop bilateral cooperation, the Iranian Parliament Speaker stressed, Mehr reported. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf  stated this Wednesday during a meeting in Tehran with his Armenian counterpart, Alen Simonyan.

During the meeting, Ghalibaf described the visit of his Armenian counterpart to Iran as a good opportunity to develop bilateral cooperation.

Saying that relations with neighbors play important role in the foreign policy of the Iranian Government, Ghalibaf underlined, "As we are at a critical juncture in the regional situation, it is necessary to develop bilateral and regional cooperation."

The importance of West Asia and the Caucasus region has given a special sensitivity to bilateral relations, Iranian Parliament Speaker said, stressing that in this regard, Iran-Armenia relations are very important.

The Islamic Republic's firm stance towards neighboring countries, especially Armenia, is maintaining peace, tranquility, and stability, Ghalibaf further noted.

The Zionist regime—i.e., Israel—and the United States are seeking to disrupt regional security to achieve their own interests, thus, the neighboring countries must pay attention to these issues, he explained.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ghalibaf also described the economy as the most important issue in Iran-Armenia ties.

Transportation is the most important economic issue between the two countries, which leads to the exchange of goods and energy and communication between the countries, he said.

According to him, the construction of the north-south corridor is a necessity for Iran and Armenia to establish national and regional security and develop bilateral cooperation.

Ghalibaf concluded his remarks by expressing hope that the issues and disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be resolved through principled dialogues.

Armenia's President of the National Assembly also stressed using the opportunities and capacities of both countries to establish trade and develop economic relations.

Armenia has made every effort to accelerate the completion of the North-South Corridor in recent years, he also said, stressing that the President of Armenia put a great emphasis on the issue of the North-South Corridor.

The 44-day Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) war in the fall of 2020 had many consequences for Armenia, he also said, appreciating Iran for its stance and its support for maintaining the territorial integrity of the countries.