The prime minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, and the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, held a phone conversation yesterday (3 January), to discuss a range of topics relating to Iranian-Armenian relations.
According to the Armenian readout, Pashinyan and Ebrahim Raisi exchanged views on a number of issues on the bilateral agenda, and stressed the importance of close cooperation between the governments of the two countries, particularly in strengthening economic ties. On this issue, the Iranian president stated that "the level of economic exchanges between the two countries is less than the existing capacities, and it is necessary for the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission to become more active and take big steps to ensure the interests of the two countries". For his part, Pashinayn reportedly expressed his satisfaction at the activity of Iranian companies in Armenia, noting that he welcomed the presence of more of these enterprises in the implementation of future infrastructure projects.
The Iranian statement on the meeting adds that Tehran welcomes the progress made in the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and hopes that more issues can be solved “within the framework of international principles and law and witness more peace, stability and security in the region”. The Iranian president also stated that “one of the key policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries. In this regard, Tehran supports the sovereignty of Armenia over all territories and roads passing through that country."
The two leaders reportedly congratulated each other on the occasion of the New Year and agreed to continue high-level contacts between the two countries, with Ebrahim Raisi noting that "the sensitivity of the situation in the Caucasus region requires that the countries of the region regularly discuss regional and bilateral issues".