Iranian, Armenian FMs discuss issues of mutual interest, intl. developments

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, who is on an official visit to Iran, has met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian. The two sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest in bilateral, regional and international fields.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, who is on an official visit to Iran, has met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian. The two sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest in bilateral, regional and international fields.

During the meeting, Amirabdollahian referred to the useful and constructive talks between the Iranian president and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe.

We consider our borders with Armenia as borders for interaction and cooperation, including in connection with the Eurasian Economic Union, Amirabdollahian said.

While emphasizing Tehran's determination to expand relations with Armenia in different political, economic and cultural fields, he expressed hope that through joint cooperation, outstanding economic plans and semi-finished projects will become operational, and the shortcomings and problems of roads between the two countries will quickly be resolved so that bilateral trade will expand to a new level.

During the meeting, the Armenian foreign minister also stressed the long-standing friendly relations between the two nations, saying that rapid international and regional developments have led senior officials of the two countries to meet frequently.

Unfortunately, the involvement of third parties in the Caucasus crisis has led to the presence of terrorist forces from Iraq and Syria in the region, he said.

He stated that Armenia is ready to open the blocked roads between the two countries, but that obstructionism by some had slowed down the process.

Ararat Mirzoyan praised the Islamic Republic of Iran' stance that changing international borders is unacceptable, and described it as very important.

He enumerated his country's efforts to facilitate trade between the two countries, and stressed the Armenian government's interest in the activities of Iranian businessmen and technical experts in Armenia's market.

Regarding the presence of terrorists in the region, the Iranian foreign minister stressed that "unfortunately, following the tensions in the south of the Caucasus region, we are witnessing the presence of foreign terrorists and the destructive activities of the Zionist regime in the region."

Of course, Tehran will not allow terrorist forces and the Zionist regime to harm Iran's good relations with its neighbors, he stated.