Madrid Backs Economic Ties With Tehran

Tehran, Sept 27, IRNA - The Spanish government says Tehran could be an important economic ally of Madrid. In a statement on new policies published in the El País newspaper on Friday, Spain said that Iran is a key state in establishing peace and stability in the Middle East. The report added that Spain supports the interim nuclear deal reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers in Geneva in November 2013 and the settlement of the dispute with Tehran. It stressed that Madrid is determined to boost ties with Tehran. The statement followed the meeting of Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with his Spanish counterpart José Manuel García-Margallo in New York last week. The Spanish foreign minister, who visited Tehran in March this year, said Madrid stands ready to tap into its potential and hold political consultations with Middle East states, including Iran, to work out proper solutions to the existing woes in Iraq and Syria. García-Margallo commended Iran’s effective role in the region and criticized those who did not invite Tehran to attend an international conference in Paris on September 15 to discuss the threat posed by the ISIL Takfiri terrorists. The Spanish minister also expressed his country’s readiness to bolster cooperation with Iran. Many European countries, including France, Germany and Italy, have shown interest in enhancing political and economic relations with Iran, a business powerhouse in the Middle East, as sanctions imposed against Tehran are partially suspended./end