Related Iran's Interested in Cooperation with Armenia in Mining

What Is Iranian Vice President Going To Discuss In Yerevan?

Lragir.am - 13/10/2015

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Iran's Interested in Cooperation with Armenia in Mining
The first vice president of Iran Eshaq Jahangiri will arrive in Armenia on October 14 for a two-day visit.
Jahangiri is coming to Armenia in a dramatic period. The Iranian parliament has ratified the nuclear deal, Western leaders are visiting Tehran, and everyone is looking forward to Iran's return to the world politics and economy.
Despite the stereotyped opinion that Iran's return is important from the point of view of the oil price and logistics, in reality the transformation of the Great Near East and recovery of its relations with other regions is what matters more.
Recently the Iranian minister of transport has visited Azerbaijan and signed a memorandum on connecting the railways of Iran and Azerbaijan by the end of 2016. However, the impression is that Iran would prefer another option but has to agree with Baku.
Azerbaijan would not eliminate visa with Iran and go for rapprochement. Despite the ongoing activities, none of these countries seems willing to complete the layout of Resht-Astara railway. Now Iran and Azerbaijan have only one road, the road of Nakhijevan which ends in Nakhijevan.
Iran and many other countries would benefit from the operation of the railway of Nakhijevan to Armenia and Georgia. Apparently, however, the opponents of this railway are many. And not only Azerbaijan blocks Armenia. Railway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea is not in line with Russia's and Turkey's interests.
It is more difficult to implement the costly project of a new railway

between Armenia and Iran via Meghri than to "persuade" Azerbaijan to open the border with Nakhijevan.

It is difficult to tell whether this issue is under serious consideration but it is possible that Iran procrastinates the layout of Resht-Astara hoping to achieve the operation of the ready railway.
Interestingly, the layout of Kars-Akhalkalak-Baku would not succeed.
The Western powers do not support this project, insisting on operating the cheaper option of Kars-Gyumri. However, Turkey blocks this way.
The Western funds do not fund the layout of the Armenian-Iranian railway via Meghri. Despite the visits to Beijing, China is also reluctant to invest in this project. Perhaps everyone is hoping for a political solution of controversies between Armenia and Azerbaijan and restoring the "old" ways, both Kars-Gyumri and Nakhijevan-Yerevan.
What is Jahangiri going to discuss in Yerevan.
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