Pashinyan receives Iran’s vice president as Tehran says Yerevan gave guarantees on TRIPP
- Published
- Place
- Yerevan, Armenia
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Nikol Pashinyan received Iranian Vice President Hamid Pourmohammadi in Yerevan on 9 November. Pourmohammadi is in Armenia to co-chair the 19th session of the Armenia–Iran intergovernmental commission, scheduled for 10 November. According to the prime minister’s office, the two discussed border infrastructure, joint road projects, energy, agriculture and the unblocking of regional transport links. The same day in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Armenia had given guarantees on the TRIPP route: no change to borders, construction by Armenian companies and no deployment of US military personnel in the region. Iran supports unblocking regional transport but rejects any geopolitical change, he added, pledging to follow developments closely.
Analysis
These assurances contrast with an attack by Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader. Writing in the daily Ettela’at last week, he accused Pashinyan of deepening Armenia’s dependence on the West and likened TRIPP to an extraterritorial corridor. In Yerevan, minister Davit Khudatyan said on Monday that Iranian partners had “no concerns”. The agreement ratified in late October gives the United States 74% of the route’s development company for 49 years.
Possible consequences
The commission’s session on Tuesday 10 November is expected to produce cooperation documents between the two neighbours.
