Armenia is the “land of opportunities” for Iran; Why is Yerevan unknown?
Mehr News, International Group: Armenia is one of the closest countries geographically, culturally and even common interests for Iran. As much as this country is close to Iran in terms of commonalities, it has been neglected in terms of recognition among Iranian people. The potentials that exist in Armenia for Iran in the direction of economic and cultural investment can be found in few countries. But first of all, this country should be fully understood and the culture, economy and politics in Iran should be explained to the people and elites of Armenia. In fact, if the media assume this important mission, they can become a strong arm of the diplomatic system to pursue and realize the country’s national interests.
This necessity caused a delegation of Iranian diplomats, researchers and journalists to travel to Armenia on a 5-day scientific trip on Monday, November 14, 1403. A trip that started from the capital city of Iravan and ended in the city of Kapan, the capital of Sivnik province. This trip, which took place at the invitation of “Orbeli Analytical Research Center” affiliated with the Public Relations and Information Center of the Prime Minister’s Office of Armenia, was an opportunity to meet and talk with the officials of the host country, including “Mehr Grigoryan”. /strong>” Deputy Prime Minister, “Armen Grigoryan” Secretary of the National Security Council and Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Armenia. In addition, the opportunity to have a sincere and problem-oriented conversation with Mehdi Sobhani, the Iranian ambassador to Armenia, was provided. The Iranian ambassador is very concerned and pragmatic in pursuing Iran’s interests in Yerevan.
Also, the field visit of the Iranian delegation to the copper mine in the city of Kapan and the North-South highway and the holding of a specialized meeting were other important programs of this trip. In addition, a visit to the Armenian Press news agency as the official news agency of Armenia was also on the agenda.
The first day of the trip; Examining cooperation opportunities in a meeting with the authorities of Armenia
Programs started with a very important meeting. “Mehr Grigoryan” Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia hosted the Iranian delegation on Tuesday and emphasizing the good relations between the two countries, he said that Armenian nationals consider Iran their home and Iranian nationals consider Armenia their home and this shows the relations It is the strength of two countries.
He said that “implementation of the Peace Crossroads project provides a good opportunity for Iran to gain access to the Eurasian markets very quickly.” “Armenia is trying to include Iran’s interests in Eurasia, and this is a matter of principle for us.” The Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia continued: “The construction and development of the north-south route is underway, and Iranian companies are making a good contribution to the construction of the southern section.” The most important sentence that “Mehr Grigorian” emphasized many times was that Armenia will consider the interests of Iran in any program. In this intimate meeting, Grigorian answered the various questions of the members of the Iranian delegation.
Armen Grigorian, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, in a separate meeting, welcomed the visit of the Iranian media-university delegation to Armenia. He emphasized the importance of holding such events with the aim of strengthening trust and transparency between political, social and media circles.
In this meeting, while explaining Armenia’s policies and approaches in political, economic and security interactions in the region and with its neighbors, he emphasized the importance of developing economic relations with Iran.
The last officials who received the Iranian delegation in Yerevan were 2 Deputy Ministers of Construction who raised various points in the field of economy and transportation.
The second day of the trip; An opportunity for field visits to economic infrastructure
On Wednesday, the Iranian delegation traveled to the city of Kapan, the capital of Sivnik province in northern Armenia, and visited the Zangzor copper-molybdenum mine, which is the largest mine in the country.
But one of the most important parts of this trip was visiting a part of the North-South Corridor. The North-South International Corridor is the name of the big transportation project that was agreed upon by the three countries. India, Iran and Russia in 1379. The North-South Corridor is known as an important communication bridge between European countries, Scandinavia and Russia with the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. This corridor includes a network of highways, sea routes and railway lines with a length of 7,200 kilometers and is known as the shortest communication route between Russia and India. This corridor has the ability to turn Iran into a regional transit center.
The construction of 32 kilometers of this route has been entrusted to Iranian companies. One of the officials of the improvement project of a part of the north-south corridor of Iran to Armenia announced to the Iranian delegation about the measures taken during this trip: “This project is the biggest project of Iran in Armenia since its independence. Now 5 months have passed since the beginning of this 3-year project, which will definitely end sooner. A 32-kilometer section of the Agarat-Kajaran road in the south of Armenia is being constructed by an Iranian company, which, if completed and operated within the next 2.5 years, will reduce the 43-kilometer distance between the two cities from 1.5 hours in the best case to 20 minutes. delivers The speed of cars will reach from 30 km to 80 km.
In the above images, in addition to views of the mentioned project, the current status of the transit road between Iran and Armenia near the city of Kapan and general aerial and ground views of this city can be seen.
21 km of this 32 km route has been created anew and the rest will be reconstructed. 17 big bridges and 2 tunnels will be built on this route. This route has 3.5 million cubic meters of earthworks. All the bridges of this route are special.
The width of the track is 18 meters. Two forward lanes, one return lane and two sandy lanes are considered.
The third day; Specialized meetings and analysis of ways to deepen Iran-Armenia cooperation
On Thursday, as the last day of the business trip, a specialized round table was held in Kapan, the capital of Sivnik province, during which the experts of Orbeli Analytical Research Center and Iranian experts and professors, the most important They discussed issues related to the political, economic, scientific and cultural aspects of bilateral cooperation and the development prospects of Iran and Armenia.
At first, Mahdi Sobhani, the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Armenia, expressed some points at the opening of the round table. The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran said: If the relations with the neighbors are managed well, it will become a platform for the development of the foreign relations of the two countries. The first link of security is the neighborhood environment, and the expansion of relations plays a key and important role in the formation of a stable and safe region.
He emphasized: The neighborhood policy needs constant care because the unstable conditions become the basis for the abuse of foreigners. Some enemies are seeking to secure their illegitimate interests in the region by creating conflict and tension. Friendly relations with neighbors will be the basis for lower-cost foreign trade and the growth of exports and provision of import bases of countries. Strengthening the neighborhood policy and promoting cooperation in the border areas will bring employment and increase the level of welfare of the region and provide security. Sobhani said: We welcome the negotiations between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan to sign a peace treaty and we believe that the tension and conflict between the two countries can have unfortunate consequences for the parties and the people of the region. Iran’s ambassador in Yerevan supported Armenia’s “Four Ways of Peace” initiative and said: Any removal of blockades should be under national and territorial sovereignty and security supervision and control of Armenia. The border of Iran and Armenia is the border of friendship and the two countries were not only a source of threat to each other, but also a source of a better tomorrow for each other.
This round table was held in three political, economic and cultural panels. was While thanking the directors of the Orbli Institute, he demanded to continue holding such meetings with the participation of other interested countries in the Caucasus, such as Georgia, India, Russia, France, etc., in the form of webinars or face-to-face. Below is a summary of the most important topics raised in this round table:
“Ihsan Mohdian” senior expert on Qafqar issues: holding this The meeting in the city of Kapan, Armenia, which has a strategic location in this country and the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran is also located there and is located a short distance from the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan, is also an important event that conveys the necessary messages to other parties. Decentralization in holding academic events and organizing them in cities other than Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, by Orbli Institute is a positive step. Because the residents of other cities and villages of Armenia, especially the residents of Sivnik province, should also understand that the government of Armenia as well as the government and nation of the Islamic Republic of Iran care about their fate and maintaining security and peace in the region as well as maintaining the territorial integrity of Armenia. In this direction, they take practical measures. What was discussed in this conference are only the suggestions and recommendations of Iranian experts from the Caucasus region to help the progress of Armenia and improve its regional status, and the government and people of Iran are sure that Armenia will make the best decision for the future of this country in any field. will take Perhaps one of the ways to increase Armenia’s strength and power in dealing with regional rivals and enemies is to hold a joint military exercise with Iran. Especially since Baku regularly holds military maneuvers with Türkiye, Pakistan and some other countries in order to have the upper hand in peace negotiations. This is a proposal whose implementation will definitely help to maintain balance among regional actors.
“Ali Baman Iqbali Zarch” senior expert in Eurasian studies: Regional and international interactions have entered a new era of competition, which, like the growth of technology, has increased the speed of political and security developments, and the international arena is involved in multiple and diverse crises, including the genocide in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, and extraordinary developments. It is centered in Eurasia, including the Southern Caucasus and West Asia. It is certain that this region has a prominent role in the geostrategy of the Eurasian axis, and according to Kaplan, the focal point of dominating international interactions has changed from the Balkans to the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Of course, this region has long been the area of Iranian civilization, and it is a crossroads of cultural, religious and ethnic commonalities, which has experienced various changes in different historical periods, and now it is an important buffer zone between two valuable seas, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It can be said that it has played a very important role in the issues of corridors, energy transfer and basically peace, stability and regional balance. After the beginning of the Ukraine crisis and the imposition of full-scale western sanctions against Russia, relations between Baku and Moscow have become stronger and more coherent. Anyway, on the one hand, historical experience says that the smart leaders of the peripheral countries should act in such a way that they do not become a compromise with the great powers, and on the other hand, it is necessary for the Islamic Republic of Iran to focus more on the development dimension while strengthening the all-round dimensions of relations. Economic interaction with South Caucasus and Central Asia countries.
“Habibullah Malkutifar” member of the International Studies Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran : The trade relations between Iran and Armenia have grown “relatively”. In the last 6 years, our economic growth has grown by 13% in terms of weight and 18% in terms of value. Iran is the third exporter of goods to Armenia after Russia and China. We also have a high potential for cooperation in the field of energy. Russia supplies 87% of Armenia’s gas and we supply 13% of it. In order to increase relations, there is a need for infrastructure that the two governments must negotiate, including the development of roads in the framework of the North-South corridor. Also, the development of the Persian Gulf Corridor to the Black Sea, which is in a way the same as the Four Ways of Peace plan, can provide an important part of these infrastructures.
“Daud Kiani” university professor and member of “Iras” Institute:
as The Supreme Leader stated that Armenia is Iran’s “noble” partner and neighbor, and in my opinion, this is one of the best definitions for this country in its interaction with Iran. The 3+3 mechanism about the Caucasus with the presence of Iran, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia is good, and I hope it will continue and we will see more constructive dialogues. I also hope that constructive corridor talks and peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia will go well. Relations between Iran and Armenia have been less affected by negative factors, unlike the one between Azerbaijan and Georgia. I believe that targeting the trade interaction between Iran and Armenia to three billion dollars is within reach and not far away with the agreements that have been formed. Especially, Iran and Armenia can have good cooperation in the form of the Eurasian Union, because Armenia is the gateway of Iran to Eurasia. The “Crossroads of Peace” plan is in line with Iran’s view, especially the plan of the Persian Gulf Corridor to the Black Sea, and these two parallel plans can be pursued by the two countries because its end is Chabahar and Mumbai.
“Hasmik Giragosian” from Gaghard Study Foundation: We should form a common cultural front to give The relations between Iran and Armenia as two historical neighbors are very special. In Armenian sources, there is information about Iranian culture and literature that is not even in Iranian sources. Armenian sources can also be used for the history of Iran. Also, many words have been transferred from Persian to Armenian. In the 15th and 18th centuries, Persian language was promoted in India, Caucasus and Central Asia to promote science, philosophy, religion and Sufism. Iranian Armenians were the channels through which Iranian culture was transferred to other countries. Today, Iran and Armenia are on the same cultural front, and it is against the actions that are being followed by Azerbaijan.
“Vilen Khachatryan” Director of the Academy of the Republic of Armenia: Iran Corridor And Armenia is very important for Iran in terms of geopolitics and economy and the transfer of goods by land, so Iranian investors can consider Armenia as a good country for business. Cooperation should be with regard to sanctions or in areas that do not include the function of sanctions. It is important for Armenia how countries treat us in crisis situations, because there are many friends in good times; We want true colleagues and partners who will stay in the hardships and difficulties and turn Armenia into an economic factor for us.
“Artyom Tonoyan” Professor of Yerevan University: military industry for Israel’s economy is so important that it negatively affects the region. This effect is increasing every year, especially since the private sector plays a large role in this industry. Therefore, I believe that Israel tends to have more conflicts in the region in order to sell more weapons. The settlement of the disputes between Azerbaijan and Armenia is not only not pleasing to Israel, but it considers it a threat against itself. Iran and Armenia have good relations with each other, and this issue is definitely not in the interest of Israel-Azerbaijan relations, and in terms of propaganda, the improvement of Iran-Armenia relations is definitely a vital threat to Israel, and any improvement in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan is also considered a threat to Israel. /p>
“Abed Nowrozi Zarmehri” guest researcher of Caucasus Studies Foundation: Friendly relations between Iran and Armenia have a special place in the history of several thousand years of Iran. The bilateral relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Armenia over the past three decades have been one of the prominent examples of good neighborhood that is due to the policy of active neighborhood between the two countries. The developments in recent years, such as the Second War of Gharabagh, have brought the treaties of peace to the two countries into a new period of economic and political relations in the form of the Eurasian Economic Union. On the one hand, Armenia’s tendency to Iranian goods and economic relations with Iran, and on the other hand, increased Iran’s relations and members of the Eurasian Economic Union has increased the need to transform trade, investment, development of transport infrastructure and so on. In order to enhance trade, economic and investment communications, the conditions for the two countries’ private companies must be provided. The presence of Iranian companies in Armenia is strengthened by political, cultural and economic factors. The political factor can be found in the two governments’ willingness to increase economic cooperation and positive political background. The historical leadership of the two countries’ relations and the positive opinion of the citizens towards each other helps to strengthen the cultural and social wings of Iran -Armenia relations. Economically, Armenia also has valuable copper, zinc, gold, marble, bauxite and molybdenum mines, which is a suitable platform for foreign investment in the country. On the other hand, Armenia has a large food market. In addition, investment conditions in this country are appropriate. Armenia is a good destination for foreign investment. On the other hand, it is a member of important international organizations such as the World Bank, the Eurasian Economic Union and several other international organizations. These factors provide the platform for active presence of Iranian companies in Armenia.
“ Sergei Malekunian April Institute Member: Relationships The economy of the two countries is growing, but we have a lot of potential that can be real. We should not be limited to economics and trade.
“ Johnny Malekian Researcher of Orbell Research Center: Armenia He is interacting with Iran and Georgia in its foreign policy policy, but this process is going hard with Azerbaijan because Azerbaijan is trying to speak to us in the language of force.
“Alireza Nazif” President of the Iranian -Armenian Friendship Association: Targeting $ 2 billion from $ 5 million on both sides To be serious. Norduz and Tabriz Customs is the first commercial customs with Armenia. There are 4 routes to reach Tabriz to Berlin, which is a role in the fourth route, which is aerial, train and water combination. On the other hand, without the support of Iran and India, Armenia’s efforts to create corridors are doomed to failure. Iran must be in the corridors because its territorial position dictates. Aras Free Zone is our most advanced free zone that Armenia can be present in the area.
“ Robert Ghokasian Governor of Sionic: is important for Syonic In the field of transportation, infrastructure and cultural and tourism, we welcome the expansion of relations. We have important plans for further understanding of Iran and Armenia in Sisian, and we hope that these programs will be able to engage in further interaction with the two countries as well as border towns. Help. The bilateral relations of Iran and Armenia are being upgraded at a high level and we support this.
“Mahmoud Jafari Dehghi” President of the Iranian Association of Iranian Studies and Professor of Tehran: / Span> For thousands of years Iranians and Armenians have had a deep cultural link. Both tribes have been from the Aryan relatives and the Armenian language has an inextricable link in Persian. There are many ancient Iranian words in Armenian names. According to Xenophone, Iranians and Armenians understood each other well. The arts, beliefs, and myths of both origin from a waterfall, and the epics and literature of both have been influenced by each other. The influence of Iran’s Basta God, such as Ahuramazda and Anahita, on the Armenian religion is undeniable. In addition, the impact of Persian literature, especially Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and Khayyam’s usurpers, on the thought of Armenian poets and literary is very evident. Armenian Iranian scholars have made great efforts to introduce and transfer Persian culture and literature. It can be acknowledged that their share in this regard is more than Iranians in introducing Armenian culture and literature. Marpas Catina, Fostus Byzantine, Zenub Ghalabi, Musa Khourni, Armenian historians and thinkers were introduced to Iran in their works. Azad Mattian, Ruben Abrahamian, Harand Pasdadmachian, Georg Hwansian, Edward Men, and Garnik Badalian, etc. were among the scholars and literary who have been translating Persian literature into Armenian and introducing Iranian cultural menda. Therefore, given the valuable scientific and cultural heritage of the two friendly and neighboring countries of Iran and Armenia, the effort to introduce the culture of both countries should be a top priority for researchers.
“Mehdi Seif Tabrizi” Caucasian Issues Expert: How to Interaction Yerevan with the Baku government and the process of delayed in recent years against the Republic of Azerbaijan, including the rules of border boundaries between the two countries or the change of domestic laws by the demand of the foreign government, not only calms the government of Aliyev, but also witness the creation of the creation of We have new territorial demands based on racist concepts, especially concepts such as West Azerbaijan by Baku. The irrational demands of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Sioner route and the transfer of Armenian national sovereignty to one of the country’s most important land borders and one of the Yerevan respiratory corridors, the border with Iran. According to Baku’s ambition, it is rooted in the way Yerevan’s political action deal with important and identity issues, which is not based on national power but based on the roadmap that Western countries have considered to reduce tensions based on their interests for Armenia. The type of Armenian interaction with Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan will not only affect its national security and interests in the future, but Armenia’s behavior towards these two capitals will have a direct impact on Iran’s geoconomics and geopolitics, or in other words the Islamic Republic of Iran’s national security. will have The Armenian border is of great importance to Iran economically, geopolitical and security, and Tehran is willing to pay a lot to maintain this border alongside Armenia, but this is when Yerevan has a strong will to confront tensions and decisions. Political and security should be based on the interests and interests of the two nations, rather than prescribing political and security strategies from some political centers outside of Yerevan.
“Zohreh Khanmohammadi” Assistant Professor of Islamic Azad University: Cultural capacities between Iran and Armenia should not be examined merely as a cultural component that only integrates the relationships between nations, but must be the consistency of governments’ relations, especially in politics. Extending from culture to politics and other subject areas between the two countries. In fact, it is necessary to define ethics and values under the culture of a society and attribute directly to politics, as throughout the history of the cultural relations of the nation, religion, and cultural commonalities, the most important of which is active in the active presence of minorities. The political sectors of both countries (MPs, legal and judicial sectors) are considered. It is necessary to insist on the continuation of this process so that political interactions are not pursued only from the point of view of politics, the geographical boundaries of the relationship and the restriction of relations. Although political, economic, and geopolitical components are also important in governments’ relations, it can be seen on politics without directly talking about culture. Some of the principles of Iranian foreign policy based on neighborhood policy, good proximity and respect for the territorial integrity of neighbors can be sought in the cultural layers, which is an integral part of “ respect and neighborhood . This principle also exists in literature, religion and the principles of nations, so as mentioned, the shadow of culture on politics and its extension in the field of foreign relations, especially between Tehran and Yerevan, has been considered over the years.
“Jeana Eskanian” of Armenian Orbell Studies: have been talking about $ 3 billion for years and should be slow to one step in one steps. Wear billion dollars. We have grown in recent years. There are problems in this regard, including trade in the commerce, because Iran has always been more than Armenia. Iran’s export trend has been growing over the past five years, but the Armenian export rate has been constant. Usually, 5 % of Armenian exports to Iran are electricity. In recent years, this image has changed and has reached 2 %. Gas played an important role in Iranian exports to Armenia. Tile, ceramic, building materials were among Iran’s export goods.
“Morteza Abedin” , Consul General of Iran in Armenian Captain: There is a cognition between the two countries at the elite level but not public level That must be extended. This lack of knowledge may be related to the 5 -year period of communism. We tried to implement the knowledge at the public level during this five years when the consulate was opened. In cooperation with local authorities, we have organized joint cultural festivals and programs.
“Mohammad Reza Moradi” General Manager of Mehr News Agency: All the material and suggestions presented at this roundtable without media attachment Realization will face many problems. If we consider the media as the arm of the diplomacy apparatus, this capacity should be more exploited in the planning of the two countries’ authorities. The media as a facilitator can provide opportunities for collaboration in various fields. One of the facts that came on this journey and the roundtable is that Armenia is basically not known in Iran. As the country is considered as an opportunity for opportunities, a few researchers in the Caucasus are familiar with Armenia, and without this knowledge we should not expect to strengthen and expand relations to the highest level. One of the suggestions that could somewhat eliminated this problem is the exchange of media delegations and reporters between the two countries.
