Velayati Urges Development of Tehran-Paris Ties Based on “Mutual Respect”
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Director of the Strategic Research Center of Iran’s Expediency Council Ali Akbar Velayati met with the visiting French parliamentary delegation on Sunday during which he urged expansion of the two countries' ties based on mutual respect.
During the meeting, Velayati hoped that constructive relations will once again develop between the two countries “based on equal footing and mutual respect."
He also referred to his 33 years of experience in Iran’s foreign policy and said he has good memories of his meetings with French officials, which had positive outcomes.
Velayati served as Iran’s foreign minister for sixteen years before becoming a senior adviser to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in 1997.
Head of the French parliamentary delegation, for his part, described the group’s visit to Iran as exciting and praised the “ancient civilization and great culture of Iran."
He further said “we closely follow the Geneva talks (between Iran and the sextet of the world powers)”.
He was referring to the negotiations between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.
The two sides signed an interim deal, known as Geneva Agreement, on Tehran’s nuclear case in November last year.
Iran and the G 5+1 wrapped up their latest round of high-level nuclear talks in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on April 9.
