Iranian Ambassador hails ‘border of peace’ with Armenia

Khalil Shirgholami, Iran’s ambassador to Armenia, has emphasized that the border between the two countries is of vital significance. Speaking to Armenpress amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Shirgholami described the Armenia–Iran border as a “border of peace.” He said he visited the border crossing point over the weekend.

“I personally visited the border checkpoint over the weekend and held meetings on the Iranian side with the heads of border, security, and customs agencies. We discussed a number of issues, addressing not only current situational problems but also broader key matters related to challenges concerning the land border. The Armenian side, in turn, had raised several concerns related to the same challenges, and we therefore discussed those issues as well. We are confident that there are no serious problems and that all issues will be resolved,” the ambassador said.

He added that he maintains regular contact with border service personnel and noted that no unusual incidents have been recorded during this period.

“There is no disorder or congestion at the border. In recent days, the flow of cargo trucks traveling from Iran to Armenia has decreased, but this is due to Nowruz in Iran. People are celebrating the national holiday with their families,” Shirgholami said.

He also noted that he met with the Governor of Syunik Province, Robert Ghukasyan, holding productive discussions on issues related to both the province and the checkpoint.

“Taking the opportunity, I also inspected on site the progress of construction work on the 32-kilometer Agarak–Kajaran road. As you know, an Iranian company is involved in this project. I was very pleased to see the quality and pace of construction. I hope that in the near future we will attend the signing ceremony of the commissioning agreement for the Kajaran tunnel,” the Ambassador said.

“I then visited the Noravan substation, where the third power transmission line is being constructed. We agreed that, after a short pause, work will resume as soon as possible. Unfortunately, due to the war, we were unable to ensure a larger flow of Iranian tourists to Armenia this year,” Shirgholami said.