Zarif: Iran Reliable Energy Supplier To Europe, Spain

Tehran, March 3, IRNA – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that Iran as a reliable supplier of energy to Europe and Spain, hoping that existing capacity will be used the best thanks to the thaw in relations. In a meeting with his Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, he referred to historical and profound cultural ties between the two countries, stressing the need to promote mutual cooperation in political, economic and cultural spheres. Pointing to the development of communications between the two countries based on mutual interests, Zarif underlined the two nations’ will for boosting cooperation, hoping that bilateral ties will further improve in future. He called for cooperation in the field of transport, railway and metro, exploring the avenues for promoting relations during the imminent visit of Spanish minister of industry, trade and tourism to Tehran. Zarif referred to Iran-Spain common views about dialog and campaign against violence and underlined the significance of cooperation in the fight against extremism and hostility. Garcia-Margallo, for his part, expressed pleasure with the outcome of Iran- Group 5+1 nuclear talks and voiced his country’s readiness to broaden cooperation in political and cultural arenas. He hoped that bilateral ties will further improve soon. During the meeting, the two foreign ministers discussed regional and international issues, the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the Ukraine developments. Spanish foreign minister who was scheduled to have a four-day stay in Tehran and talk with the other Iranian senior officials, cut short the visit and left Tehran earlier due to the developments in Ukraine./end