Iran Press/ Iran news: Ali Shamkhani made the remarks in a meeting with Armen Gregorian Sunday night here in Tehran.
Gregorian, heading a high-ranking delegation, arrived in Tehran earlier in the morning.
Shamkhani referred to the historical relations and cultural ties between the two nations, saying, "Sustainability and firmness of the two countries' political and economic relations are major characteristics of Tehran-Yerevan friendly ties."
The SNSC secretary said that the expansion of cooperation and interactions with the neighboring countries is an unchangeable rule in the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy, and a top priority in the 13th government's agenda.
"Peaceful coexistence and shared efforts aimed at elimination of regional tensions by resorting to peaceful methods are the Islamic Republic of Iran's emphatic proposals to all sides in conflicts," he reiterated.
Shamkhani referred to the positive perspective of Tehran-Yerevan economic interactions and increased commercial exchanges, arguing that reaching the 3-billion-dollar annual bilateral trade volume is an achievable objective.
"Iran and Armenia are both situated along the North-South Corridor, which portrays a bright perspective for further deepening our bilateral trade relations," he added.
Shamkhani went on to say, "Tension in the Caucasus region is to no country's benefit, and any geographic change in the Southern Caucasus region will lead to intensifying tension in the region which is the demand of the enemies of the region's peace and security."
Shamkhani stated that dialogue and continuous interactions must replace any harsh approaches to end the existing challenges in the region.
He further added, "The Caucasus region is passing through sensitive conditions and expressed hope that Azerbaijan and Armenia will observe self-restraint, and manage to pass through tension relying on tension and crisis management."
For his part, Gregorian asked for further deepening and expansion of the bilateral relations and cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Ian, which he said: "is a top priority for the Armenian government and nation in their foreign policy."
Gregorian said that Iran plays an important role in the expansion of relations among Southern Caucasus region countries, promoting regional peace and stability.
He lauded Iran's detent regional policy and congratulated the recent Tehran-Riyadh agreement, saying, "The only way to end regional tensions is resorting to dialogue and interactions among countries."
The secretary of the Armenian National Security Council also referred to the two countries' power and gas swap projects to Turkmenistan as important issues in bilateral relations, stressing that the bilateral economic projects must be accelerated.
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