Pezeshkian: Armenia, Belarus visits to empower private sector, expedite deals
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that the main focus of his upcoming visits to Armenia and Belarus would be to facilitate private sector activities and accelerate the implementation of agreements.
On Sunday, a coordination meeting was held with the participation of Pezeshkian, cabinet ministers, and senior executive officials to review various dimensions and outline the agenda of the official visits to the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Belarus, IRNA reported.
The president will leave Tehran for Yerevan today and then travel to Minsk.
Pezeshkian underscored that among the key priorities of the two visits are facilitating the activities of the Iranian private sector in both destination countries and expediting the implementation of pending agreements and major projects, particularly joint investment initiatives. The president said these priorities would shape his meetings with Armenia’s prime minister and Belarus’s president, as part of efforts to deepen relations and advance mutual interests.
During the Sunday meeting, the different aspects and levels of Iran’s relations with Armenia and Belarus were comprehensively examined. The existing and potential capacities in key sectors such as energy, transportation, trade, investment, healthcare, environment, science, culture, and tourism were thoroughly outlined. Opportunities, challenges, and obstacles to developing mutual cooperation were identified, and practical solutions to overcome them were carefully discussed.
One of the major and sensitive issues raised during the session was the recent agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan on establishing a transit corridor.
Azerbaijan and Armenia last week signed a peace treaty in Washington aimed at ending nearly four decades of conflict. Reports indicated that a US private consortium would oversee the Zangezur corridor along Iran’s border, a development that has drawn Tehran’s close attention.
In this regard, the engagement of Armenian officials with senior authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure the protection of Iran’s national interests and considerations was cited as an example of the country’s active and constructive diplomacy.
In addition, draft cooperation documents and memorandums of understanding between Iran and Armenia and Belarus, which are on the verge of being signed, were closely reviewed to pave the way for their prompt implementation.
In the session, the president, with particular attention to the issues raised — especially in the sphere of trade and economic exchanges — emphasized the firm determination of the Islamic Republic to expand regional cooperation and strengthen friendly relations with neighboring and like-minded countries, based on constructive engagement and mutual interests.