Iran and Armenia have signed a security agreement to expand cooperation on measures against organized crimes and the fight against drug smuggling as well as security and border issues.
The agreement was signed by Iran’s Deputy Interior Minister Ali Abdollahi and Armenian Police Chief Lieutenant-General Vladimir Gasparyan on Tuesday.
In the ceremony which was also attended by Iran’s Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, the Iranian minister pointed to the growing relations between Iran and Armenia, saying a new chapter has opened in the security cooperation between the two countries.
Mohammad-Najjar referred to Iran’s readiness to share its experiences with Armenia in police training and criminal extradition as well as the fight against drug-trafficking and organized crimes, noting that the agreement between the two countries set a good framework for mutual cooperation.
The Armenian official, for his part, described the agreement as a turning point in Tehran-Yerevan relations and said Armenia was keen to use Iran’s security experience.
Mohammad-Najjar also met with Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan, during which he described the bilateral relations as excellent and said Tehran and Yerevan could further boost their ties, given the two countries’ high capacities.
Gevorgyan underlined his country’s relations with Iran and said Armenia is ready to expand economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic, adding that the construction of a power plant on Aras River and the Iran-Armenia railway are on the agenda of the two neighbors.
Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, heading a high ranking delegation, arrived in Yerevan on Monday to meet and discuss issues of mutual interest with Armenian senior officials.
He held separate meetings with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyana and Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamian on Monday.
Iran and Armenia have taken major strides towards promoting their mutual relations over the recent years, particularly in the energy sector.
