Wednesday, 13 June 2007
RA Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Armenia Alireza Hagigian.
The Prime Minister mentioned with satisfaction the successful course of those programs on which high-level arrangements had been made between the two countries. He expressed hope that the upcoming July session of the Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental commission (IC) would give additional stimulus to the development and strengthening of bilateral economic ties.
Ambassador Alireza Hagigjan conveyed warm greetings on behalf of the IRI Vice President on the appointment of Serzh Sargsyan to the post of RA Prime Minister, as well as congratulations and kind wishes addressed to the head and membership of the newly formed government cabinet and the whole people of Armenia.
The Ambassador pointed out to the importance of the upcoming IC session and noted that the Iranian side of the Commission had carried out serious preparative work. Among the scheduled tasks, he singled out the signing of an agreement on the applicable trade regime between Armenia and Iran, the cooperation in the field of petrochemistry, the construction of a HPP on the Arax. He further noted that the electricity generated on the HPP would stimulate considerably the development of border regions, with the balance of energy to be used for exchange of electric power with Iran. Ambassador Alireza Hagigjan also said that a joint task force was due to be established for the promotion of bilateral investments. The Iranian Ambassador informed that an important international symposium was scheduled to be held in Tehran in the month of July, dedicated to transit ways at which the key issue of North-South corridor would be discussed. Alireza Hagigjan noted that an official invitation had already been sent to RA Minister of Transport and Communication and it was highly desirable that Armenia attended this event.
During the meeting, at the request of the Iranian Ambassador, the Prime Minister of Armenia spoke about the latest developments recorded in the talks over the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
