YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)– Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran–Morteza Bank–who is on a working visit to Armenia–visited the Caucasian Center for Iranian Studies on Thursday. During the meeting–the director of the Caucasian Center for Iranian Studies–Garnik Asatrian–stressed the importance Armenia attaches to Iran in its foreign policy. He presented the activities of the center–pointing out that as distinct from other countries–Iranian studies had been given a new impetus for development in Armenia due to the efforts of private persons.
The sides discussed the latest political developmen’s in the region. Asatrian presented condolences in connection with the murder of nine Iranian diplomats and wholesale fusillade of Shiites in Afghanistan. In that regard–he pointed to the need for the study of Pushtu tribes to realize what is going on in Afghanistan.
Bank highly appreciated the role of the Caucasian Center for Iranian Studies in the development of relations between Iran and Armenia. The delegation paid special attention to the publishing activities of the Center. The only CIS magazine dealing with oriental studies–"Iran Name," was presented to the guests among various other editions.
The sides also discussed preparations for the first Armenian-Iranian scientific and political seminar to be held in Tehran next month. The seminar is sponsored by the Caucasian Center for Iranian Studies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran. It is expected to be attended by well-known scientists–political and public figures.
The meeting was attended by members of the Iranian delegation – a group of dignitaries–representatives of economic and industrial circles of the Islamic Republic of Iran–as well as Iran’s ambassador to Armenia Hamid Reza Nikkar Esfahani and his party.