YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of Armenia’s Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan and Ambassadors of Iran and Turkmenistan was very important from geopolitical and regional perspective, economist Tatul Manaseryan said in an interview with “Armenpress”.

“Iran is interested in intensifying the ties with the Eurasian Economic Union. From the other hand, as Iran is bordered to Turkmenistan, the import of the Iranian gas to Armenia as well as that of the Turkmenistan gas can be considered as an alternative”, he said.

The economist attached importance to intensifying the relations with the neighbors in the region. He said Armenia also has enough potential.

“The export with two key sectors must be increased through your own, national competitive advantages. The one is the agricultural production, the second, which I give more importance, are the scientific fields, especially, the information technologies. Moreover, the demand of the information technologies is quite huge both in Iran and Turkmenistan. I think here there can be quite mutually beneficial cooperation”, the economist said, adding that this process is important both in terms of economic development, diversification of energy resources, as well as from political point of view.  

To the view whether the intensification of relations with Turkmenistan derives from the recent developments, in connection with the payment mechanisms of transit of Russian gas to Armenia through Georgia, the economist said it cannot be ruled out.

“Of course, I don’t rule out that. Moreover, there can be a good prospect for transporting Turkmenistan gas through the territory of Armenia, but in line with this, more importance will be attached to the bilateral relations, trade-economic ties. I don’t think that the huge potential existing between the two countries is being utilized”, he stated.

Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan on January 9 held a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Armenia Seyed Kazem Sadjadi and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to Armenia Muhammetniyaz Mashalov. PM Karapetyan said Armenia’s high level political relations with Iran and Turkmenistan enable to further intensify the bilateral economic ties, as well as establish a trilateral format economic partnership. The PM said Armenia is interested in developing Armenia-Iran-Turkmenistan trilateral economic mutual cooperation.