I Informed Raeesi About the Results of the Trilateral Meeting That Took Place in Sochi Yesterday: Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has made a brief working visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Upon arrival at Tehran International Airport, the Prime Minister was greeted by Iran's Vice President Masoud Mir Kazemi.

Following this, Prime Minister Pashinyan proceeded to the Saadabad Palace, where he was welcomed by President Ebrahim Raisi in an official reception ceremony.

Before the negotiations began, Armenia's Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan and Iran's Deputy Minister of Petroleum and Director of the National Gas Company Majid Chegeni signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the natural gas sector.

Initially, a narrow-format meeting took place between the leaders of Armenia and Iran, followed by an extended meeting. The interlocutors discussed a number of agenda items related to the development of Armenian-Iranian relations. In particular, possibilities for expanding trade and economic ties and the continuous increase of trade turnover volumes were highlighted. Specifically, the need to raise these volumes to $3 billion annually was underscored, with both Prime Minister Pashinyan and Ebrahim Raisi expressing confidence in the existing potential to achieve this goal.

The parties also discussed issues related to cooperation in infrastructure development, energy, agriculture, construction, and other sectors. The implementation of joint projects to facilitate freight transportation and the necessity of completing the construction of the Armenia-Iran third power transmission line were emphasized.

After the meeting, the leaders of Armenia and Iran addressed the media with statements summarizing the results of the negotiations. Ebrahim Raisi noted, in particular, “I welcome the esteemed Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the members of his accompanying delegation. I have no doubt and am confident that the Prime Minister's visit will contribute to the further development of bilateral relations. The policy of good neighborliness is one of our main policies, and during these past months, we have had several meetings with Mr. Pashinyan. During these meetings and during today's visit, we highlighted the importance of developing ties between the two countries, especially in economic, trade, political, and security areas. Over the past months, we have seen a 43 percent increase in trade and economic relations with Armenia, but our target is $3 billion. Achieving this goal will definitely happen. Good relations between the two countries, be assured, will strengthen relations and security in the region. The Caucasus region is part of Iran's historical cultural and civilizational heritage, and we are very sensitive to this region. Establishing security and peace in the region is of paramount importance to the Islamic Republic of Iran. During negotiations with Mr. Pashinyan, we concluded that regional issues must be resolved through the responsible actors of the region. The presence of foreign powers not only does not solve any problems, but exacerbates them. Regional cooperation will guarantee comprehensive and lasting peace between countries. I hope that the agreements reached during this visit and the determination that both countries' officials should spare no effort in implementing these agreements will contribute to the further development of our relations, and we will witness a high level of bilateral relations. Once again, I welcome my friend and neighbor, the Prime Minister of Armenia, and the members of his accompanying delegation.”

In turn, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated, “Dear Mr. President, thank you for the invitation and warm welcome. I must note that we are having a very productive visit. We have discussed issues related to the economic and political relations of the two countries, emphasizing our historical ties, including noting the nuances of our relations. I also highly appreciate the attitude and policy of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran toward the opportunities created for the Armenian community in Iran. I want to emphasize that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Armenia are a very bright and vivid example of cooperation and friendship between Islamic and Christian civilizations.

We also discussed issues related to the regional agenda, and in this regard, the Republic of Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran see a vast field for cooperation. We emphasize and appreciate Iran’s principled positions regarding ensuring regional security and stability. I informed Mr. Raeesi about the results of the trilateral meeting that took place in Sochi yesterday and shared my impressions regarding the agenda of establishing stability and peace in the region and ongoing processes.

We consider it important that our Iranian partners are informed about what is happening in the context of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, Armenia-Turkey relations, and the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. A significant part of our conversation, of course, pertains to developing economic cooperation, and we see huge potential in this area. There are concrete prospects in the fields of energy, agriculture, infrastructure development, and water resource management, around which our dialogue should be maximally specified. I am pleased that the visit has concrete results, including the signing of a memorandum regarding the extension of the ‘Gas for Electricity’ agreement. Therefore, Mr. President, there are all grounds to consider the visit memorable already, and I would be happy to host you in the Republic of Armenia at a time convenient for you to continue this conversation. I would like to thank you for supporting the positive developments in our relations, the latest manifestation of which was the opening of the Iranian Consulate General in Kapan, the regional center of Syunik. Thank you.”

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s brief visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran has concluded.