Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has praised his country's relations with Iran, saying Yerevan will not be involved in a "conspiracy" against Tehran.
"Iran is our partner. I am convinced that our Iranian partners know that Armenia has never been and will never be involved in a conspiracy against Iran because these relations are extremely important for Armenia. We will never forget that Iran became the road of life for us in the early 1990s. This foundation is so solid that Armenia simply cannot be involved in a conspiracy against Iran,” Pashinyan said in a meeting with the Armenian community of Lithuania.
Pashinyan added that "there are certain circles which manage at times to publish reports in Iranian media about Armenia's involvement in some conspiracies against Iran."
He said that international sanctions against Iran hindered economic relations between the two countries.
Despite religious and ideological differences, relations between the two states remain extensively cordial and both are strategic partners in the region. Armenia and Iran are neighbouring countries in Western Asia and share a common land border that is 44 kilometres long.
Especially important is the cooperation in the field of energy security, as the pipeline that brings Iranian natural gas into Armenia was completed years ago. Additionally, the two states have also implemented other multimillion-dollar energy projects, which include the construction of two hydroelectric plants on the Araz River that marks the Armenian-Iranian border, and a third high-voltage transmission line linking their power grids and dams.
On January 23, 2021, Iran and Armenia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand trading relations between the two countries. The MOU was signed by the Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan and the Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Alireza Razm Hosseini, in Tehran. Accordingly, sectors such as the mining industry, foodstuff, and home appliances are the main ways for the two countries to establish cooperation.
