The President of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture has said that the country’s private sector is prepared to take part in infrastructure projects in Armenia, as the two neighbors seek to expand economic ties.
Samad Hassanzadeh made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday with Armenia’s ambassador to Iran Grigor Hakobyan.
“We are interested in sending and receiving business delegations and have plans to dispatch a trade mission to Armenia later this year,” Hassanzadeh said.
He highlighted the potential for collaboration in medical, pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, noting that these fields could become key pillars of cooperation. He also pointed to Iran’s capabilities in tourism and health tourism, calling for increased support from Armenia to facilitate travels to the country by Iranian tourists.
Ambassador Hakobyan, in turn, reiterated his country’s interest in strengthening ties with Iran, calling the relationship a priority for Yerevan. “Expanding bilateral relations across economic, political, and cultural fields is of great importance to both the government and the people of Armenia,” he said.
Expressing concern that the current level of economic cooperation does not match the strong political relations between the two countries, the ambassador said Armenia aims to increase bilateral trade volume to $1 billion in the first phase, with a long-term goal of reaching $3 billion.
Hakobyan emphasized the importance of business delegations in boosting ties and said Armenia offers numerous opportunities for investment and joint ventures. He added that the Armenian embassy is ready to support Iranian traders in exploring these prospects.
He also called for a joint framework between the two countries’ chambers of commerce to address challenges and facilitate trade.