On December 23, 2008 the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Seyran Ohanyan received the delegation headed by the Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ali Bagher accompanied by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Armenia Seid Ali Saghaian.

At the beginning of the meeting the Minister welcomed the guests, expressing hope that the bilateral discussions will once again confirm the positions of Armenia and Iran on regional questions and issues of regional cooperation. During the meeting Mr. Ohanyan noted that the relations established between the two countries, the centuries-old friendship and the historical-cultural similarities provide enough ground for the deepening and development of ties in the future. At the end of the meeting the parties exchanged views on a number of issues related to regional security and stability, determined the programs for the near future. Turning to the issue of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the parties stated that Iran’s balanced position is of great importance for the peaceful resolution of the issue. The parties stated that the existing multifaceted cooperation stems not only from the interests of Armenia and Iran, but also the region, as a whole.