Iran stresses expansion of Culture Cooperation with Armenia

Iranian Ambassador to Yerevan Seyed Ali Saqqaeeyan underlined the friendly and close relations between Iran and Armenia, and said Tehran is eager to further develop cultural ties with its Northwestern neighbor."The Iranian nation and government will remain beside the friendly and brotherly nation and government of Armenia like before," Saqqaeeyan said on Wednesday. He also referred to the two countries' common history and culture, and lauded the efforts made to further bolster mutual cultural cooperation and promote the Persian language. In relevant remarks earlier this month, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had also asked for the maximum expansion of relations between Iran and Armenia. Speaking in a phone conversation with his Armenian counterpart, the Iranian president reiterated the abundant grounds existing for the further development of ties and cooperation between Tehran and Yerevan. "The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes maximum expansion of relations between the two countries, in various cultural, economic and political grounds and welcomes any move which helps attainment of this objective," he added. He also noted the two nations' age-old historical and cultural relations, and said the Iranian and Armenian people have heartfelt feelings for each other "and this has provided an appropriate capacity and potential for the growing consolidation and reinvigoration of the relations between the two countries". Armenian President Serzh Sargsian, for his part, stressed the importance of the increasing development of the relations between Tehran and Yerevan in all the various grounds. "Armenia is seeking to further bolster the relations between the two countries in the different fields, specially in economy, and believes that close ties with Tehran would serve the interests of both nations as well as the other nations in the region," he added.The Iranian president plans to visit Yerevan by the end of this year.