ARMENIA SURRENDERED TO IRAN
It is
reported that joint work and secret commercial activities
are conducted in the “Sungun Copper Ore Bed” located in the
Ahar area that is close to Kaleybar city in the South
Azerbaijan region under a confidential agreement signed
between Iran and Armenia. It is stated that many Armenian
engineers working in the copper mine occasionally go to this
region with helicopters. The fact that Armenian engineers
working in the mine are not subjected to any visa
application or entry-exit records lead to comments that
“maximum efforts are paid not to bring the joint work into a
legal situation”. There is also information stating that
Iran sends the copper mined in the mentioned area to Armenia
as a means of economic support. This secret cooperation has
caused great reaction from the Armenians living in the
region and it has been considered as “the Iranian
Administration’s extraction of South Azerbaijan’s national
wealth secretly and offering it to Armenia as a present”.
The
rapprochement between Armenia and Iran doe not solely
consist of mining. There is a close relationship between the
two countries in fields of economy, military, education and
culture. The transfer of 1,1 billion cubic meters of natural
gas from Iran to Armenia is planned to start as from 2007,
and the transfer of 2,3 billion cubic meters of natural gas
as from 2019. In this framework, with the inauguration of
the Iran–Armenia natural gas pipeline, an electric power
plant will be constructed on the Aras River. It is planned
that this power plant will supply electricity to Iran in
return for the natural gas supplied to Armenia. Also,
“Iranian-Armenian Businessmen Forum” was held in Tabriz in
August 2006 by the businessmen of Armenia and Iran, and a
decision was made to build an “Armenian Trade Center” in
Tabriz.
It is
striking that the Chairman of the Islamic Shura Council in
Iran Gholamali Haddad, who placed a wreath of flowers on the
so-called genocide memorial in Yerevan during his recent
visit to Armenia, said that “Their much beloved Armenians
can easily worship and hold their ceremonies to commemorate
‘the so-called genocide’ in Iran; Armenia, which is subject
to the embargo of Turkey, pursues its economic relations
with at least 60 countries via Iran; and moreover, Iran’s
interests in Europe and the USA is represented by Armenia”.
Also, the fact that Iranian Government give permission to a
meeting that was organized by Armenians living in Iran and
held in Chalderan in August 2006, received great reaction.
In the “Gathering of Armenians of the Entire World”
participated by Armenia, the Upper Gharabagh, the USA and
France, talks were held with the Iranian Government for the
settlement of Armenians in Chalderan that is located near
the border with Nakhjevan and mostly populated by Azeri
people. Also, the fact that many Iranian businessmen
frequently travel to Nagorno Gharabagh and organize
commercial and industrial exhibitions, is criticized by the
Azerbaijani Administration, and Iran is accused of
supporting Armenia’s goals concerning Nagorno Gharabagh.
Also within the framework of the cooperation in education, a
student exchange program was initiated between Armenia and
Iran, and there have been reciprocal visits from both
countries. There are 25 Armenian schools in Iran as of 2006,
and there are about 12 thousands students attending these
schools. In textbooks of geography that are distributed in
Armenian schools in Iran by the Armenian Ministry of
National Education with the permission of the Iranian
Government, the western part of Azerbaijan and the eastern
part of Turkey are included within the borders of the Great
Armenia.
