Iran’s ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, stated in an interview with Armenian Public Television that Armenian authorities have assured Tehran that expanding cooperation with other countries, including European states, will not harm Armenian-Iranian relations.
Sobhani was responding to a question about how Tehran views Armenia’s attempts to diversify its foreign policy.
The ambassador noted that Tehran has confidence in its Armenian partners and believes Yerevan is managing its relationship with Iran with appropriate sensitivity.
He added that Iran is also committed to strengthening peace and stability in the region and supports Armenia’s peaceful coexistence with its neighbors.
On March 26, Armenia’s National Assembly approved in its final reading the bill to initiate the process of applying for EU membership. The initiative was first approved by the government on January 9, following a proposal by the civil initiative Eurovote. The EU has not yet issued a formal invitation for accession, and opposition forces in Armenia have called the bill legally absurd. The president of Armenia signed it into law.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk stated that Armenia “cannot sit on two chairs” and will eventually have to choose between the Eurasian Economic Union and the EU.
