Iran FM urges unceasing dialog with EU

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has stressed the importance of constant dialog between Tehran and the European Union.

“There are good relations between Iran’s Majlis and the European Parliament and we emphasize the continuation of dialog between Iran and the European Union,” Zarif said in a meeting with Chair of Group of the European People's delegation for relations with Iran Janusz Lewandowski in Brussels on Monday.

He expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and said the issue of the impoverished nation should be resolved through peaceful approaches.

Since March 26, 2015, Yemen has been under military attacks by Saudi Arabia with the declared aim of undermining the Houthi Ansarullah movement and restoring power to the fugitive former Yemeni president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a Riyadh ally.

Nearly 8,300 people, among them over 2,230 children, have been killed and over 16,000 others injured since the onset of the air raids, which have taken a heavy toll on the impoverished country’s infrastructure.

Pointing to the latest developments in Syria, the Iranian minister urged diplomacy to solve the crisis in the Arab country.

“The settlement of the Syrian crisis has no military solution,” Zarif said.

The foreign-sponsored conflict in Syria, which began in March 2011, has  claimed the lives of some 470,000 people and left 1.9 million injured, according to the so-called Syrian Center for Policy Research.

Moreover, 6.36 million people have been displaced internally and more than four million others have fled the country since the beginning of the conflict.

Syria accuses Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar of funding and arming terrorist groups operating inside the country, including Daesh.

Zarif also said Iran like many European countries faces a huge influx of refugees, adding, “Iran hosts some three million Afghans. Iran and Europe can have good cooperation in this regard.”

Lewandowski, for his part, said Iran and Europe must strengthen economic and parliamentary cooperation and added that the two sides should also expand relations in the fields of smuggling of drugs and humanitarian issues.

Zarif meeting with Belgian PM

Also in a meeting with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel on Monday, Zarif said Iran and the 28-nation bloc would expand relations in the near future.

“It seems that relations between Iran and member states of the European Union, particularly Belgium as the host country of the European Union meetings, will be increased in the near future,” the Iranian foreign minister added.

Zarif arrived in Brussels early on Monday at the head of a political delegation to discuss key regional issues with European Union officials.

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