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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is of prime importance to the Islamic Republic.

Pezeshkian made the remarks in a meeting with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in Tehran on Tuesday, IRNA reported.

The high-ranking Armenian diplomat is in Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new president this afternoon.

Pezeshkian said that Iran considers connecting routes, including the INSTC, as an opportunity for the development and progress of all countries in the region.

He emphasized that the completion of projects in this sector will be one of the new administration’s priorities.

He described the relations between the two countries as historical, friendly, and based on good neighborliness.

In its readout of the meeting, the Armenian government said that Pashinyan thanked Masoud Pezeshkian for his warm hospitality and once again congratulated him on his election as new Iranian president. He emphasized that multilateral cooperation with Iran is of great importance for Armenia, which is based on mutual respect and understanding.

Masoud Pezeshkian, reaffirming the previously reached agreements at a high level, noted. "The age-old friendship, historical and cultural close relations of our two peoples are the basis for further development of bilateral cooperation. We are ready to continue our dialogue with joint efforts and further enrich the bilateral cooperation agenda."

"The fact that I am here today is evidence of our commitment to deepen relations between Armenia and Iran at the highest level, to strengthen cooperation," Pashinyan said.

Nikol Pashinyan presented the "Crossroads of Peace" project of the Armenian government and its principles aimed at unblocking regional communication channels.

The newly elected president of Iran highlighted the consistent efforts to establish peace and stability in the region.

Masoud Pezeshkian noted that maintaining peace in the region is of key importance for Iran, adding that the Iranian side also considers it necessary to resolve all issues through dialogue.

Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the involvement of the Iranian side in the construction of the North-South highway, in particular, the Agarak-Kajaran section. The importance of the steps taken to modernize the Armenia-Iran border checkpoint was also emphasized.

The leaders of Armenia and Iran discussed a wide range of issues related to the strengthening of trade and economic ties, and also referred to issues related to the implementation of new joint programs in the fields of healthcare, modern technologies, education, science, and culture.

Masoud Pezeshkian noted that he has been to Armenia on a private visit and has warm impressions of our country and people. The interlocutors emphasized bilateral high-level mutual visits.