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Tree trade agreement between EAEU and Iran to be signed soon - Iranian president

"The sides noted the importance of talks on a free trade agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union," the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani press service said

YEREVAN, August 6. /TASS/. A free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran will be signed in the near future, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday at a meeting with visiting Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

"The sides noted the importance of talks on a free trade agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union," the presidential; press service said. "President Rouhani noted that considerable steps have been made towards this agreement. He said that the agreement that is to be signed soon will be rather fruitful."

Iran hailed the presence of the president of neighboring Armenia at the inauguration ceremony of the Iranian president, Rouhani said, adding that Sargsyan’s visit will give a fresh impetus to the development of bilateral relations.

"The current year is noted from the point of view of political development both in Armenia and in Iran," the Armenian leader said. "Armenia held parliamentary elections under the reformed constitution and the Iranian people elected the head of the country’s executive authorities. Apart from that, this year marked the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Iran, the newest page in the centuries-long history of ties between the two countries."

According to the press service, the two presidents discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and agreed that "the Armenian-Iranian economic ties have a great potential and further work is needed to make an efficient use of this potential." They agreed that "it will encourage trade and investments between the two countries."

The presidents also spoke in favor of cooperation in the spheres of gas and electricity generation in the Iran-Armenia-Turkmenistan format.

Rouhani welcomed Armenia’s decision to cancel entry visas for Iranian citizens. "It is a major and fruitful step towards expanding business ties, encouraging economic activities, investments and tourism," he said.

The two leaders also discussed issues of regional security, including the negotiating process on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Sargsyan informed about the current state of the negotiating process and "Armenia’s position on the conflict settlement by peaceful means through talks within the OSCE Minsk Group."

The Iranian president stressed that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is to be settled only by political means as his country is interested in peace and stability in the region.

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