YEREVAN -- Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian says Armenia-Iran relations have hit an excellent level, ITAR-TASS reported Thursday.

"Armenia attaches great importance to this developing trend," the minister told the ****Golos Armenii**** newspaper.

"Our European policy has not been built in detriment of its relations with Iran," he stressed.

"In our relations with Iran we have no contradictions and I believe that we are capable of developing cooperation at all three directions," Oskanian said.

Last month, Oskanian made a state visit to Tehran and held talks on a range of international and bilateral issues. He met his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi as well as President Mohammad Khatami.

In January, Armenian Energy Minister Karen Galustyan said that the construction of a gas pipeline that would transit Iranian gas to the former Soviet Republic of Armenia will begin this year.

(IRNA)