Iran and Armenia are to expand mutual ties, especially in the field of water and the environment.
A delegation headed by the Iranian Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian recently met with the Armenian Minister of Environment Hakob Simidyan and other high-ranking officials of the neighboring country in Yerevan and the two sides stressed the need to enhance cooperation in various fields, especially energy, water and the environment, the Energy Ministry’s news portal Paven reported.
Simidyan stated that in the last two months, various measures have been taken and Armenia is fully prepared to resolve any outstanding issues.
Pointing to the importance of water quality, he called for reviving the joint working group for water sampling, which results should be exchanged to achieve a single standard.
The two sides agreed on the challenges of surface water pollution by forming a joint taskforce to initiate executive actions to prepare roadmaps, details and timings for resolving the problem of waste discharge in Aras River along their common border.
Aras River has long been struggling with pollution caused by effluents from Armenian power plants and aluminum factories, compelling the officials of both countries to think of a solution.
In 2013, the Iran-Armenia project of monitoring Aras River water became operational in 17 stations across the provinces of Ardabil, East and West Azarbaijan.
As per the agreement, Iranian and Armenian experts constantly analyzed, up until recently, the chemical features of the river's water and the amount of heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium and lead.
Authorities believe that the river’s pollution poses serious health risks to people living in northwestern Iran, particularly in Moghan Plain in Ardabil Province where cancer fatality rate is high.
Aras River flows through Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran. Its Iranian sections pass through the provinces of East and West Azarbaijan and Ardabil.
Speaking at the meeting, Mehrabian said Iran can help Armenia by transferring the technical and engineering services, especially in the water sector.
According to the Iranian minister, Iran is the third largest dam-builder of the world and has nearly 12,500 megawatts of operational hydroelectric dams, and the country has been able to export technical and engineering water services to several countries, including Tajikistan, Russia and Italy.
The meeting coincided with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and Iran.
Simidyan said Armenian-Iranian relations have a centuries-old history. We are not only neighboring countries, but also friendly nations. The Republic of Armenia and Iran have a high level of cooperation in many fields, including trade, energy, transport, road construction and agriculture.
17th Joint Commission
Mehrabian had traveled to Yerevan to take part in the 17th Iran-Armenia Economic Cooperation Commission.
Iran and Armenia signed a memorandum of understanding covering transit, transportation, medical tourism, facilitation of goods and energy exchange, as well as the development of environmental cooperation related to Aras River.
The document of the 17th joint commission was signed between Mehrabian, as the chairman of the commission from the Iranian side, and Armenian's Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Commission Mher Grigoryan.
“Lack of a suitable transportation route and also stable financial and banking relations, as well as a lack of utilization of the two countries’ high potentials are major problems impeding the expansion of bilateral cooperation,” Mehrabian said, expressing hope that the obstacles would be removed soon.
Grigoryan pointed to the role of Eurasian Economic Union in promoting integration and increasing trade in the region and said Armenia is ready to act as a facilitator of relations between Iran and EEU.
He pointed to the issue of transportation and energy as two important axes for expanding relations between the two countries. Extending the gas and electricity exchange agreement between the two nations and following up on the completion of the north-south road of Armenia as part of the corridor connecting Persian Gulf with Black Sea top the agenda of the two countries.
