Iran Calls for Development of All-Out Ties with Ukraine

Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri in a message to Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk underlined Tehran’s enthusiasm for the further expansion of relations with Kiev in all arenas, FNA reported.

In his message on Wednesday, Jahangiri congratulated Yatseniuk for reelection as Ukraine’s prime minister, and expressed the hope that by relying on both countries’ mutual efforts, Tehran and Kiev would witnesses the evermore expansion of comprehensive relations and cooperation.

Arseny Yatseniuk was reelected as Ukraine’s prime minister last week and appointed as head of a national unity government. He has formerly served as his country’s economy minister.

Iran has been seeking to bolster ties with Eastern Europe, specially Ukraine, in all the different industrial, political, economic and cultural spheres in the last few years.

After purchasing the production license for the Antonov-140 from Ukraine in 2000, Iran built its first Iran-140 passenger plane in 2003.

The first IRAN-140 aircraft was introduced by Iran in 2003. Five domestically-manufactured IRAN-140 planes were completed in October 2008 to increase the country’s transportation capacity and upgrade the Iranian passenger fleet.

The IRAN-140 is a double-engine turboprop aircraft which can fly almost 1,865 miles before re-fueling and its passenger model seats 52 people.