Iran opposes presence of foreigners in Armenia, Azerbaijan: FM

Upon his arrival in Armenia, Amirabdollahian told reporters that he was in Yerevan at the official invitation of the Armenian foreign minister, adding that the two sides would review the issues of mutual strategic interest besides joint regional cooperation.

Describing the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Armenia as two countries that have numerous grounds for cooperation as well as common concerns in the region, he underlined that they were working to find solutions on this trip and that they were looking to draw the path of long-term cooperation between the two states.

Referring to the long-term cooperation documents between Iran and Armenia, he reiterated that Iran opposed the presence of foreigners in this region, whether in Azerbaijan or Armenia.

Pointing to President Ebrahim Raisi's policy of strengthening relations with neighboring countries during the past year, Amirabdollahian stated that the volume of trade exchange between Tehran and Yerevan has increased by more than 43.5 percent compared to the previous year and expressed hope to witness a higher level of exchange between the two states.