Iranian president urges vigilance against foreign attempts to harm ties with Armenia

Tehran, Aug 31 (IANS) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasised the need for Iran and Armenia to remain vigilant against any foreign attempts to disrupt their "friendly and strategic" relations.

Pezeshkian made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran with Armen Grigoryan, secretary of Armenia's Security Council on Saturday, during which the two sides also discussed bilateral ties, Xinhua news agency reported quoting a statement published on the website of Pezeshkian's office.

Pezeshkian expressed satisfaction with the results of his visit to Armenia earlier this month, calling it "successful and fruitful."

He said the trip featured "constructive talks and positive agreements" between senior officials of the two countries, stressing that Armenian officials' explanations and reassurances during the trip helped ease Iran's concerns over recent developments in the Caucasus, especially regarding the foreign forces' presence in the "sensitive region," following the peace agreement signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan in early August.

"We should move in a way so that no foreign power can disrupt the two countries' friendly and strategic relations," Pezeshkian emphasised.

He highlighted the necessity to facilitate trade and expand joint investments between Iranian and Armenian businesses in order to substantially boost bilateral transactions.

Grigoryan, for his part, said relations between Armenia and Iran are "strategic," expressing his country's readiness to sign a comprehensive strategic cooperation document with Iran.

He stressed that his country is ready to raise bilateral economic transactions to a level several times higher than their current one.

Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have been at loggerheads over the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region since 1988, signed a peace agreement in Washington on August 8, ending their decades-long border conflict. The peace agreement includes a deal to create a transit corridor across southern Armenia, with the project's exclusive development rights granted to the United States.

Iran has repeatedly voiced concern over transregional players' presence in the region and warned against any attempts to alter the region's geopolitics or historical borders.

--IANS

int/rs