Yesterday the 6th sitting of the Armenian-Iranian Interparliamentary Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation (ICTEC) started in Tehran. Upon completion of the sitting a memorandum of the agreement on bilateral trade and economic cooperation will be signed. The 6th ICTEC sitting is presided by Iranian Minister of Economy and Finance Davoud Danesh-Jaafari and head of the Armenian President Administration Artashes Tumanian. When opening the sitting the Iranian Minister noted Iran’s interest in the development of bilateral relations with Armenia and stated that Iran is ready to fulfill all agreements on cooperation concluded earlier. In his words, Iran is interested in the soonest completion of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction and hopes that by January 2007 the pipeline will be put into operation.
Davoud Danesh-Jaafari also pointed out to the concernment of Tehran and Yerevan in the soonest implementation of the projects referring to the building of the second branch of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, gas heat power plant, power grid and an electric power substation for the delivery of Armenian energy to Iran as well as the project of border transport terminal in Nurduz. These projects will be implemented by joint effort of the Armenian and Iranian companies. In the words of the ICTEC Iranian Co-chair, transport and transit are the priority issues of the bilateral cooperation. Tehran is interested in Armenia’s joining the North-South international transport corridor and will assist Yerevan in the issue.
Davoud Danesh-Jaafari noted that Iran and Armenia have already signed a number of agreements that laid the fundament of bilateral trade and economic relations. He marked out the agreements on support of mutual investments, cancellation of double taxation, customs and trade cooperation, international vehicle and air transportation. In his opinion the parties should also develop cooperation in the financial and banking fields. The Iranian Minister also mentioned of the problems that emerged between several Iranian banks with their Armenian partners and appealed to the sitting participants to attend to the matter.
For his part, Artashes Tumanian noted the progress of bilateral cooperation in gas, energy, transport and legal fields. According to him, the Iranian companies are rapidly building the communication lines on the Armenian territory. He offered the customs bodies to simplify the ceremonial functions what will activate cargo transportation between the two states. The ICTEC Armenian Co-chair thanked Iran for welcoming Armenia’s bid for the North-South ITC Treaty. He said the resolution of the issue will positively tell on cooperation in transit and transport between of the states of the region, reported Irna.
