Iran FM embarks on North European tour

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif kicks off his official visit to four North European countries, setting off for Poland on the first leg of his tour.

Zarif left Tehran for the Polish capital of Warsaw on Sunday at the head of a 60-strong politico-economic delegation. He will also visit Finland, Sweden and Latvia.

The top Iranian diplomat plans to hold talks with senior officials of the four countries, and participate in meetings with their businesspeople and industrialists.

In a relevant development, Iran’s Ambassador to Warsaw Ramin Mehmanparast said the Iranian foreign minister will hold talks with his Polish counterpart, Witold Waszczykowski.

He added that Zarif will meet with businesspeople and representatives of Poland’s companies on Monday and deliver a speech at the University of Warsaw. Mehmanparast noted that Zarif will also meet with Iranians residing in Poland.

The Iranian envoy to Warsaw said the Iranian and Polish foreign ministers will sign a political agreement to exchange visits between the two countries’ top diplomats and boost cooperation on regional and international issues.

“Given the ongoing situation in the region, serious and regular bilateral meetings can be constructive in settling issues,” Mehmanparast said, adding that big Iranian and Polish companies will also sign trade agreements.

Zarif’s visit to Warsaw comes after a high-level Polish delegation, including pharmaceutical, chemical and railway executives visited Tehran in September 2015 to discuss trade opportunities created in the Islamic Republic following the implementation of the landmark nuclear agreement reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in July 2014.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Germany started implementing the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on January 16.

Under the deal, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US would be lifted. Iran has, in return, put some limitations on its nuclear activities.

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