Iran and Italy share the will to expand bilateral ties in post-JCPOA era, and Iran is open to investment, technology and export cooperation, said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in his meeting with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella.
On his first stop on a five-day European trip, President Rouhani arrived in Rome on Monday and was initially greeted by Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni at the international Rome Ciampino Airport and then was officially welcomed by Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
During the meeting with Mattarella, President Rouhani hailed the capacity of extensive bilateral cooperation between Tehran and Rome.
The unfair anti-Iran sanctions hindered the development of bilateral ties during the last years, lamented Rouhani saying that now is the time to compensate for and grow the interactions toward securing reciprocal interests.
The Iranian president maintained that the current situation of Iran was untouched for foreign investments, importing technology and exporting jointly manufactured products.
Energy, industry, mining, agriculture, cultural and scientific interactions, and new technologies were the areas named by President Rouhani for extensive bilateral cooperation.
Iran is a stable and democratic country in the Middle East and developing ties with a European country like Italy matters a lot to Iranians and the new environment is a good occasion for expanding relations, highlighted President Rouhani after providing his analysis for the roots of instability in the region.
Iran is not just a country with a population of 80 million, but it is a hub which joins the Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Indian Ocean; something which can be best benefited for joint exporting, highlighted Rouhani enlisting the advantages of cooperation with Tehran boasting energy, human, and geopolitical resources of the Islamic Republic.
Rouhani voiced gratitude for Italians’ constructive stance during 30-month long Iran-Sextet negotiations and hailed the JCPOA as a role model for solving regional and international disputes.
"Since very beginning, the Islamic Republic of Iran held that diplomacy and dialogue are the sole solutions for international issues especially the nuclear file and the deal proved that diplomacy is the best way to sustainable peace," stressed the Iranian president.
The Italian president, for his part, voiced his satisfaction to be the first foreign state to host President Rouhani after the implementation of the JCPOA and described it as a proof for deep and friendly ties between the two nations; "Italy is determined to bolster its friendship and cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran to establish long lasting stable relations with Tehran."
Mattarella announced that the new chapter of Iran-Italy cooperation is in fast-lane progress and added that industrial and business firms of the Italian country are relly eager to return to Tehran to make up all the damages made by sanctions.
President Rouhani’s visit to Italy is expected to fruit trade agreements with Italian firms worth a potential 16.6 billion euros.
He is also scheduled to have a meeting with the Pope to discuss the situation of Christians in the Middle East, as well as human rights in the war and terror stricken region.
The Iranian president will leave Rome for Paris on Wednesday, to meet with his French counterpart Francois Hollande.
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