Iran’s Zarif Arrives in Berlin for Official Visit
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in the German capital of Berlin on the first leg of his European tour to participate in the annual meeting of European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and hold talks with senior German officials.
Upon his arrival in Berlin on Monday, Zarif was welcomed by high-ranking officials at the German Foreign Ministry, according to media reports.
Zarif is slated to deliver a speech at the opening ceremony of the annual meeting of ECFR.
He also plans to pay an official visit to Italy in his European trip, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Sunday.
Diplomatic relations between Iran and European countries have improved greatly since the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), came into force in January 2016.
The European Union is a staunch supporter of the nuclear deal.
Zarif, whose trip to Germany coincided with the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in a post on his twitter account prior to his arrival in Berlin offered his congratulations on the auspicious occasion, saying, “Happy Eid to all Muslims worldwide. May the leaders of Muslim nations use the occasion to promote peace & unity instead of conflict & discord.”