It wrote that Raisi’s administration has been focusing on reviving relations with the neighboring countries of Iran, with Armenia capturing attentions these days. The landlocked country with 3 million inhabitants borders with Iran, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan Republic.
China and Russia have a big share in Armenia’s market. The high amount of exports by Turkey and Azerbaijan to Armenia was disturbed by the Karabakh dispute, though it recently has shown signs of improvement.
In the meantime, the ground is ready for Iran to expand its presence in that region's markets given the recent developments in Russia-Ukraine relations as Iranian officials paid a visit to Armenia las week and continue to hold meetings with Armenian officials.
Iran-Armenia business exchange currently amounts to 500 million dollars and officials are planning to increase it to 1 billion dollar.
Last year, Armenia announced that it was willing to import 2250 goods from Iran, because it was sanctioned by Turkey. It was a good opportunity for Iranian businesses to take advantage, as Armenia’s economy minister travelled to Iran and Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization wrote a letter to specify Iranian businesses qualified to export the goods, but this remained only on paper and the opportunity failed to be unlocked.
Hervik Yarijanian, head of Iran-Armenia Joint Chamber, told “Iran’ newspaper on Saturday that joint production of cars and home appliance are two areas Iran and Armenia can cooperate.
Some other members of the joint chamber complain that previous Iranian administrations overlooked the neighbor markets so the private sector failed to have a share in neighboring countries, as this needed a governmental support, they said.
Iran’s Trade Minister Reza Fatemi Amin who pursues non-exports said during his visit to Armenia that the continuation of increase in exports required removing hurdles against exports and elevating ties with countries of target markets.
He said that he and Armenia’s economy minister had focused on joint investments in addition to export of Iranian goods to Armenia. The Armenians urged transfer of Iranian technology to Armenia, he said, in home appliance industry, for example.
Fatemi Amin said that Iran-Armenia economic relationship has seen growth in the past years, but it is still insufficient and it should be doubled, as the Armenian side demands.
During the same visit, the Armenian economy minister said that Armenia, although small in market size, is a gate to Eurasia Economic Union which could encourage Tehran-Yerevan relation improvement and bilateral investments.
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