From Armenia to the Black Sea, We Can Arrive Two Days Earlier via the North-South Road than Through Azerbaijan: Iranian Ambassador

From Armenia to the Black Sea, we can arrive two days earlier via the North-South road than through Azerbaijan. This was stated by the Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani.

"For Iran, Armenia is the best route to the north to access the Black Sea, and for Armenia, Iran is also the best route to the Persian Gulf and Chabahar port," said the ambassador.

Speaking about the North-South road, he noted that the Armenian side has already made good progress towards the north, but there is still room for improvement from Yerevan to the south. "As part of the development programs in the south, the contract for the 32 km section of the Agarak-Kajaran project has been signed and practical steps will be taken at the end of February to start its implementation. The construction of this road will be a crucial factor in increasing transportation and trade volumes," he mentioned.

According to him, to make this route through Armenia more attractive for drivers, laws need to be simplified, tariffs reduced, and new roads constructed (or existing roads improved). He stated that in the coming months, delegations from both countries would take necessary steps in these directions.

When asked what is being done to elevate Armenian-Iranian economic relations, Sobhani replied that his priority is for Armenia and Iran to develop and pursue economic cooperation, increase investments in trade volumes, and eliminate obstacles and simplify processes in the transport sector. "The key issue for the economy is ensuring transport and infrastructure so that the connections between the two countries improve," he elaborated.