Iranian Ambassador: Possible renting of pastures in Syunik by Iran will allow Armenia exporting 2-3 mln sheep

• Tuesday, February 12, 17:48

 No agreement has been signed on rent of pastures in Syunik region, Armenia, to Iran. This given issue is still being studied, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mohammad Reisi told media, Tuesday.

The Ambassador said that to realize the given idea, a positive assessment of the Agricultural Ministry is required alongside with the consent of Syunik Administration. In addition, the document must be approved by the parliaments of Armenia and Iran. The diplomat said that the two parties cannot sign and implement the document secretly without making it public.

In response to the journalists' remarks that the given document was available on the website of the Atrpatakan Province of Iran, Ambassador Reisi called it misunderstanding. In this light, he promised to contact the Administration of the given province.

The ambassador believes that implementation of the given project meets Armenia's interests as it will allow increasing the livestock to 7 million and creating jobs. He said that the Armenian party will get an opportunity to export meat to Iran, which has a big market. The ambassador thinks that Armenia may export 2-3 million sheep to Iran.

According to Armenia's Territorial Administration Ministry, no specific decision has been passed so far. "We do not even know if the lands will be communal or governmental," the Ministry says.

To note, the World Bank's $250mln CARMAC project - a facility aimed at fostering the most competitive and stable mechanisms to develop pastures and cattle breeding - includes the above-mentioned lands in Syunik.