Zarif calls for expansion of Tehran-Athens relations
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged the expansion of bilateral relations between Tehran and Athens.
The political relations between the two countries have always been at a good level, said Zarif during a meeting with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Kotzias, in the Greek capital city of Athens on Thursday, adding that the two sides should try to bolster economic ties which have been frayed in recent years due to anti-Iran sanctions.
Zarif also hailed the resistance of the two nations in the face of “hardships and external pressures.”
The Iranian and Greek nations, with their rich historical background, have shown that they will never succumb to hardships and external pressures, he went on to say.
The Iranian top diplomat also touched upon the increasing threat of the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group in the Middle East region, urging a comprehensive plan to contain the menace.
Zarif further rejected a military solution to deal with ISIL threats, adding, “We need to engage in a lot more serious effort to counter the culture, the ideology” of the extremist terror group.
Kotzias, for his part, gave a positive assessment of Zarif’s visit to Greece, saying it is an important step in promoting Tehran-Athens ties.
Greece will use all its potentials to remove obstacles on the way of Iran-EU cooperation, Kotzias added.
He referred to the destabilizing impact of Takfiri terrorism in the region, saying “Iran’s role is of crucial importance” in thwarting the threat of the extremist ideology.
Kotzias also noted that Iran’s large reservoir of gas and oil can be of great help in covering Europe’s energy needs.
“Iran has very high quality and quantity of gas and especially oil and Greece is at a geographic point of entry to the EU … (Greece) wants to be a country-destination and also crossing of energy to central Europe. I think that with there will energy material from Iran, to the new pipelines that the region needs,” he said.
Later in the day, Zarif also met with Greek Parliament Speaker Zoi Konstantopoulou.
During the meeting, he urged offering consular services and launching direct Tehran-Athens flights as the ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of tourism.
Konstantopoulou, for her part, said that the two countries should improve the parliamentarian diplomacy in a bid to broaden their relations in other fields.
FNR/MKA/HMV
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