The “Questions to the Ambassador” initiative carried out on the platform of the Orbeli Analytical Center under the Public Relations and Information Center of Staff of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia SNCO, within the framework of which interviews are organized with the heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia, Armenian ambassadors abroad, representatives of international organizations, on the key issues of Armenian foreign policy agenda, bilateral and multilateral relations.

In this framework, our next guest is H. E. Mr. Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Armenia.

- Your Excellency, 2022 was quite an important and effective year in terms of the development of Armenia-Iran cooperation in almost all fields. Quite important meetings, mutual visits and negotiations took place in the political sphere at the highest possible level. The Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran opened in Kapan, the bilateral trade turnover in economic relations records an unprecedented progress, exceeding $700 million. How would you rate bilateral cooperation in the past year and what are your expectations and guidelines for the coming years?

- We witnessed the growth and development of relations in various fields. Most importantly, on political and strategic issues, we witnessed the continuation of regular contacts at the highest levels and the strengthening of mutual trust and respect. One of the important events of last year was the opening of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kapan. The bilateral cooperation in the field of infrastructures, including energy and transport infrastructure, also recorded positive developments. Last year, the trade turnover between the two countries also increased by 40% and crossed the $700 million mark. The increase in trade turnover also continued in the first months of this year. We witnessed interesting trends also in terms of human contacts and public opinion towards each other.

- Mr. Ambassador, the whole world, including our region, is facing serious political and security threats. As locals of this region, neighbors and friends of several thousand years, the Armenian and Iranian peoples and the states they created are trying to face new challenges, often showing quite close positions. How do you think can bilateral cooperation in the direction of facing common challenges be made more effective?

- One of the important points in the focus of the embassy’s attention in recent years was maintaining and strengthening the atmosphere of trust and mutual respect between the authorities and peoples of the two countries. I think that at present, more than ever, we realize the importance of bilateral cooperation and both of the countries have a serious will to expand it. It is necessary to strive to maintain this state. Another important point is to draw attention to the fact that deep and serious developments are taking place at the international and regional levels, which can lead to the creation of unexpected opportunities and challenges. Based on this, I consider the continuity of contacts and consensus between the authorities and expert circles of the two countries very important. In particular, expert and professional communications can help foster mutual understanding, correctly anticipating and planning challenges to take advantage of the opportunities. 

- Mr. Zohouri, it has been more than 4 months since Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin Corridor, as a result of which 120,000 Armenian population of Artsakh was under siege. Azerbaijan has also set up a checkpoint on the corridor. These actions of Baku are another gross violation of the tripartite declaration of November 9, 2020 and violate the right of Artsakh Armenians to live freely and safely in their homeland. What is Tehran’s position on this issue, and how can Iran support the resolution of the crisis?   

- Our advice to all parties of the November 9 declaration and subsequent agreements has always been to adhere to the letter and spirit of these agreements and commitments. The countries also have clear obligations under international law, one of which is to protect the rights and safety of the residents of the region. We note that the issue of the rights and security of the residents of the mentioned territory is a complex and delicate issue.

- Armenian and Iranian expert fields often talk about the need to develop security cooperation between the two countries. What do you think are the prospects for bilateral cooperation in this field?

- The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Armenia have common interests and concerns in the field of national security. You know that among the periodic contacts between the heads of the two countries, there were regular meetings and contacts between the National Security Council Secretaries of the two countries during the last year. Institutions responsible for national security in both countries also closely cooperate with each other. This is the path that should be continued at different levels. Another path, to pursue and pay attention to in the field of national security is the regular process of serious political consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs and strategic dialogues between the countries. In this regard, in March of this year, we witnessed the visit of Mr. Ali Bagheri, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, to Armenia.

- Mr. Zohouri, as we know, the North-South highway is being built in Armenia, thanks to which Armenia can become one of the key routes of the North-South international corridor. On October 20, 2022, Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian, stated during his visit to Armenia, that Armenia-Iran-India platform should be created for effective cooperation regarding the North-South corridor. By the way, it should be noted that tripartite political consultations were held at the RA MFA recently.  At the same time, some expert circles are skeptical about the implementation of the North-South International Corridor project. How important is this corridor for Iran, what are the obstacles on the way of its implementation and what are the specific expectations from Armenia to implement this important regional program as soon as possible?

- Most of the trade between Iran and Armenia is carried out by the land route from Norduz to Yerevan, which passes through the Syunik region of Armenia. Within the framework of the North-South Road project in Armenia, the RA government has serious plans to improve the infrastructures of this route and to turn it into an international transit road. We also attach great importance to the full implementation of this project in the Republic of Armenia and Iranian companies are ready to actively participate in the implementation of this project. The implementation of this project will contribute to the launch of the Persian Gulf – Black Sea transit corridor through the territory of Iran and Armenia, which attracted the attention of other countries as well. The North-South Road project is a large-scale project both economically and operationally. The implementation of a project of this scale is one of the largest economic projects in the history of Armenia. The work must be carried out very carefully in terms of financing, tendering, project implementation and monitoring of deadlines. I think that now the perspective of the project’s implementation has significantly improved. 

- And finally, since your diplomatic activity in Armenia is coming to an end, what significant obstacles did you face for the development of bilateral relations during that time, which could have been solved by the state structures of the Republic of Armenia and which continue to be so today? And what are the most impressive achievements during your tenure in the Republic of Armenia?

- During the farewell meeting with Mr. Pashinyan, I highly appreciated the cooperation shown by him, the RA government and the state system in developing relations at different levels. I consider it appropriate to thank once again for all the cooperation shown by the Armenian side during my mission. It would be impossible to advance the work without the will and cooperation of both sides. Of course, this does not mean that the situation could not be batter or that there are no obstacles and problems. In my view, increasing awareness of each other’s capabilities and potential, reducing bureaucratic barriers, speeding up and facilitating cooperation, and especially focusing on key issues is of paramount importance and can contribute to the further development of relations. The development of relations in all fields is the joint achievement of the authorities and peoples of the two countries in recent years.

- Your Excellency, thank you for answering our questions.