Iran’s Rouhani to Visit France on January 27: French Senate Leader


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher announced on Saturday that the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will make his planned visit to France on January 27.

Addressing a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Ali Larijani here in Tehran, Larcher noted that Rouhani will pay an official visit to Paris on January 27 and 28.

He also expressed the hope that anti-Iran sanctions will be fully removed when the Iranian president makes his trip to France, and that the visit would open a new chapter in the bilateral relations.

Rouhani was due to travel to France in late November but put off the trip following the November 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said at the time that, after coordination with the European sides, it was agreed that the Iranian president’s trip to the two countries (Italy and France) be postponed to some other time.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Larcher referred to his meeting with Larijani, noting that the two sides discussed the reinforcement of bilateral parliamentary ties as well as regional issues including the fight against terrorism.

“This meeting is the beginning of stronger ties between Iran and France,” the French senate leader stressed.

Heading a delegation including the chair of Senate’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Larcher arrived in the Iranian capital on Saturday morning, and will stay in the country for four days.

He is scheduled to meet with a number of high-ranking Iranian officials including President Hassan Rouhani, Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and International Adviser to Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ali Akbar Velayati.