Iran-Armenia Plan To Set Up Joint Economic Zone

Tehran, Jan 19, IRNA -- Iran and Armenia announced that they are planning to set up a new zone for their joint economic interactions. The Governor-General of Iran's Northwestern province of East Azarbaijan Alireza Beigi and Governor-General of Armenia's Syunik province Suren Khachatrian made the announcement in their meeting in Tabriz. 'Establishment of a joint economic zone to share the two sides' different capacities was underlined in our recent visit to Armenia,' Beigi said. He noted that Syunik province can utilize the capacities of Iran's private industrial units in a bid meet its needs and also pave the way for the presence of East Azarbaijan's industrial products in the Commonwealth of Independent of States (CIS) and Russian markets. Last month, it was announced that Iran is studying a plan to set up a new zone for joint economic interaction with its Northern neighboring states of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The issue was raised during a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and the East Azerbaijan's Governor-General. During the meeting also attended by Managing-Director of Aras Free Trade Zone (FTZ), Beigi briefed Salehi on the recent visit by an Armenian economic delegation to East Azerbaijan, and said that the Armenian deputy prime minister has voiced Yerevan's preparedness to set up a joint economic zone in Aras FTZ. Salehi and Beigi agreed to raise the proposal in an upcoming meeting of the Iran-Armenia joint economic commission. Also during the meeting between the Iranian foreign minister and Beigi, the two sides discussed establishment of an Iran-Azerbaijan joint economic and industrial zone in Qoli-Beiglou region of Khoda-Afarin city. Iranian officials have always underlined the importance of the country's free trade zones (FTZs) for the expansion of economic ties and cooperation with the neighboring nations. Millions worth of goods are exported from the Aras Free Trade Zone every year. The zone's exports are mostly destined for Azerbaijan, Germany, Armenia, Turkey, Russia, Iraq, Georgia and Nakhichevan./end