TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Armenian Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisyan held a meeting in Tehran on Sunday to discuss the expansion of bilateral relations.

Iran and Armenia are friends through thick and thin, Mottaki said.
Fortunately, repercussions from the South Ossetian conflict are no longer affecting Armenia, he added.
Tehran welcomes projects that can improve the lives of residents of border areas and is interested in increasing industrial and construction cooperation with Yerevan, the Iranian foreign minister stated.
And providing Iranian traders with more facilities can pave the way for strengthening economic ties with Armenia, Mottaki said.
Movsisyan said that the two countries have significantly improved their bilateral relations and expressed hope that the opening of the Armenian consulate in Tabriz will produce ideal conditions for increased cooperation between Tehran and Yerevan