“Armenia is interested in enhanced relations with its neighbor, Iran, and bolstering effective cooperation between the two countries. This will help increase bilateral commercial exchanges,” Sarksyan said in a meeting with Iran’s Energy Minister Majid Namjou on Friday.

He lauded the growing ties between Yerevan and Tehran and expressed confidence that the Iran-Armenia joint state commission would play a leading role in the further expansion of cooperation in all areas.

The Armenian president said the construction of Meghri hydroelectric power plant over the Aras River, which forms the common border between two countries, would begin soon as another instance of constructive bilateral cooperation.

According to an agreement reached by the Iranian energy minister and his Armenian counterpart, Armen Movsisian, in June, the hydroelectric power plant, which will straddle the border river, will have the capacity to produce 130 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

Namjou, for his part, said he would spare no effort to implement agreements already reached by the Iranian and Armenian presidents.

In December 2011, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Armenian counterpart signed five documents for cooperation and memoranda of understanding (MoUs).

The agreements included cooperation on the construction and launch of hydroelectric power plants on the Aras river, joint cooperation between the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran and Armenia’s National Institute of Standards, cooperation in social welfare and affairs as well as bilateral environmental cooperation.