Ex-German Envoy Welcomes Iranˈs New Foreign Policy

Berlin, Feb 8, IRNA -- Former German ambassador to Iran, Bernd Erbel hailed Tehranˈs news foreign policy, saying it could lead to a new chapter in relations between the European Union and Iran. Talking to IRNA in Berlin, Erbel said the recent statements by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Germany indicated that Iran wants to pursue a ˈpeaceful and positive and constructive role in the region.ˈ He stressed resolving the Iranian nuclear dossier could pave the way for a fruitful political and economic cooperation between Europe and Iran. Erbel who was Germanyˈs envoy in Iran from 2009 through 13, expressed optimism that the nuclear issue could be settled in the near future. Asked whether Iran could be a geo-strategic partner for Europe in the long-term, Erbel reiterated that the Islamic Republic had ˈtremendous potentialˈ given its geographic and population size as well as its wealth of natural resources. ˈIran will definitely play a major role in the region because there is hardly a country in the region that has the political, economic, sociopolitical, technological and scientific potentials of Iran,ˈ Erbel said. I hope Iranˈs potential can have a beneficial impact on the entire region as this would also ensure great possibilities for Germany to cooperate with Iran, like in Afghanistan but also other areas of the region, the ex-diplomat added./end