Consulate General of Iran Opened in Kapan

KAPAN — On October 21, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and Foreign Minister of Iran Hossein Amir Abdollahian participated in the opening ceremony of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kapan.

In his welcoming remarks Foreign Minister Mirzoyan said. “Today is remarkable in the history of Armenian-Iranian friendly relations. I am confident that the establishment and effective operation of the Consulate General of Iran will give a new quality to the special relations between the two countries, will promote bilateral cooperation and will contribute to the development of Armenian-Iranian ties”.

Mirzoyan assured that the decision of the Iranian authorities to open a Consulate General in the Syunik region – the pillar of Armenia, is deeply acknowledged and highly appreciated. He reiterate the intention of the Armenian side to establish a Consulate General in Tabriz.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been and remains an important partner for the Republic of Armenia. Our cooperation includes a comprehensive political agenda, as well as strong ties in the fields of trade, energy, transport, science and education, tourism, and culture, which will hopefully further deepen and receive a qualitative and practical new impetus due to the activities of the Consulate General opening today”. Mirzoyan said.

The Iranian Foreign Minister stated that the Consul-General Morteza Abedin Varamin is a professional diplomat. He expressed conviction that the staffers of the Iranian consulate-general in Kapan will have the support of the Iranian government, the Iranian embassy in Yerevan, the Armenian government, the leadership of the Province of Syunik and the town of Kapan, and the kind attitude of locals.

“The Iranian government’s decision on establishing a consulate-general in Kapan is the important manifestation which the Iranian government and people are giving to the millennia-old relations of Iran and the Armenian people. In the presence of the respected and hospitable citizens of Kapan I’d like to say that Iran considers the security of Armenia and the region as its own security. Our policy is to respect territorial integrity, as well as the internationally recognized borders,” the Iranian FM said.

He expressed hope that through the efforts of the embassy and the consulate-general in Kapan they will try to further develop trade-economic relations.

The Iranian Foreign Minister emphasized that the Province of Syunik is one of the most important sections of the North-South corridor. “We consider Armenia to be one of the most important countries located on the North-South highway. And we will put maximum efforts for this transit route, as well as shipments and passenger traffic to be further developed,” he added, conveying the warm greetings of the Iranian government and people.