YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan, who is in the Islamic Republic of Iran on an official visit, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir Abdollahian on June 16, ARMENPRES was informed from the National Assembly of Armenia.

After the exchange of greetings, the parties spoke about 30 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which gave a start to the process of development of Armenian-Iranian interstate cooperation, the foundation of which was laid hundreds of years ago. Alen Simonyan noted that the bilateral relations with friendly Iran, built on mutual respect and trust, are of great importance for the Republic of Armenia, as Iran is not only a neighboring country, but also an important, reliable trade partner for us.

The sides also attached importance to the development of inter-parliamentary cooperation, agreeing that the intensification of parliamentary contacts in both bilateral and multilateral formats contributes to the strengthening of mutual understanding and trust, the expansion of scope of common positions and the development of cooperation between the countries.

The President of the National Assembly of Armenia noted that Armenia, always taking into account the interests of friendly Iran on various platforms, supported its position as much as possible and expects a respective attitude from Iran, adding that the Armenian-Iranian cooperation has always contributed and will contribute to the strengthening of regional peace and stability.

The sides touched upon the war unleashed by the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem against Nagorno Karabakh and the situation created as a result, as well as many unresolved humanitarian issues, in particular, the return of prisoners of war.

"I think that friendly Iran's impartial approach to pro-Azerbaijani initiatives circulating in the international and regional arenas will make a significant contribution to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Alen Simonyan said.

During the meeting the sides highlighted the importance of the strategic dialogue with Iran and hoped for significant progress of bilateral relations in all directions.

During the discussion, the parties spoke about the investment interests of the Iranian side in the Syunik region of Armenia.

In this regard, the President of the National Assembly of Armenia highlighted the establishment of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kapan, as well as the need to open a Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia in Tabriz.

The Iranian Foreign Minister expressed confidence that the Armenian-Iranian cooperation has a great potential for development and expansion and is ready to support the development of Armenia-Iran mutually beneficial cooperation for the benefit of our friendly peoples.