Zhamanak: Rouhani’s visit to Armenia ‘gaining geopolitical significance’  

Ahead of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s scheduled trip to Armenia, the Iranian and Russian foreign ministers are meeting for negotiations in Moscow to discuss international affairs, the paper has learned.

Javad Zarif’s visit to the Russian capital is expected to largely affect Rouhani’s upcoming agenda in Yerevan. The Iranian leader is arriving in the Armenian capital on October 1 to attend the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states, says the paper, citing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s earlier statement in Kyrgyzstan (made at the assembly of the EAEU countries’ prime minsters).  

Though no member state’s president or country has voiced any position in that regard, the paper notes that Tigran Sargsyan, the Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), met with the Iranian ambassador to Russia last week to consider the launch of the temporary free trade agreement (expected to be signed in October).

Hence apart from its politico-economic significance, Rouhani’s visit to Yerevan is expected to have also politico-military implications, especially against the backdrop of the “technical rescheduling” of the Iran-Azerbaijani-Russia summit in Moscow last month (coupled with the currently observed active phase in the the Russian-Turkish rapprochement efforts and Turkey’s statement on plans to launch military raids in north-western Syria).

With Iran being the key power resisting Ankara on Syria’s territory and Russia occupying a somewhat "intermediate" position, the content of the Russian-Iranian relations is thought to be essentially important for Ankara.

“The summit in Yerevan is thus gaining a high significnce, since by accepting Armenia’s invitation and conducting a dialogue in Yerevan, Iran – and virtually also Russia, willy-nilly – underline the Armenian factor as a role-player, which is certainly a message to not only Baku but also Ankara. As to whether Iran and Russia will reach specific arrangements depends upon the outcome of the Iranian foreign minster’s visit,” writes the paper.

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