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 Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Iran held a meeting within the framework of ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Coordinating Bureau (COB) in Sharm el-Sheikh. Panorama.am reporter talked to expert of Iranian studies Rudik Yaralian focusing on the Armenian-Iranian relations.

-Mister Yaralian, how would you comment on Iranian Foreign Minister A Salehi’s statement that the two countries should work in peace and mutual understanding to avoid misinterpretations? Did a misinterpretation happen after Armenian FM E Nalbandian’s visit to Tehran on April 29?

-I’m thinking that Salehi’s words have been misinterpreted. Now Iran and Armenia are sharing a new phase of economic cooperation. Besides, Iran-Armenia oil pipeline and railway projects are on the agenda and Russian companies’ pursuit contributes to the growing significance of those projects in the region. However, Iranian FM did not focus on those “misinterpretations” in his further thoughts.

-Could it be concluded that Armenia’s complementary foreign policy is no longer fresh and that Armenia is to choose among geopolitical camps?

-Friendly relations with neighbors should not bare any foreign negative impact; before describing those relations as geo-political, they should be observed as a vital factor ensuring the countries’ persistence and survival. This concerns Armenia in particular which appeared in blockade due to its two neighbors – Azerbaijan and Turkey. Hence, friendly relations with Iran should first of all be observed from the national security point, and refrain from making it a topic of geo-political interests.