According to the statement, Le Drian’s first ever visit to Tehran, which comes at the invitation of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, is scheduled for 4-5 August 2017, during which the French top diplomat will discuss ways for promotion of bilateral ties and extend his congratulations to President Hassan Rouhani who won a second term in office in May.
Back in July, Le Drian’s imminent visit was announced by France Foreign Ministry during FM Zarif’s trip, saying that the visit aimed at deepening Tehran-Paris exchanges, as Laurent Fabius did in 2015, and Jean-Marc Ayrault in 2017.
Zarif visited France on July 3 as the third leg of his European tour which also included Germany and Italy, and held a meeting with a number of senior French officials including his counterpart Le Drian, who voiced support for Iran’s nuclear deal and conferred on the latest developments in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region.
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