Advertisement

Italian minister makes rare Iran visit

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Italian minister makes rare Iran visit
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) and his Italian counterpart, Emma Bonino, in Rome. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino arrived in Tehran Saturday for two days of talks, on a rare visit by a senior European official to the Islamic republic, Iranian media said.

Advertisement

Leading a high-ranking delegation, Bonino is to meet her Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday, the official IRNA news agency said.

This is the first time in nearly 10 years that an Italian foreign minister travels to Iran and follows a trip by Deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli in August, shortly after Rouhani's inauguration.

The visit comes nearly a month after a landmark agreement between Iran and world powers over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme, with Iran rolling back and freezing part of its drive in return for limited sanctions relief.

Italy has supported the diplomatic progress, and Zarif met Bonino in Rome last month.

Bonino's visit also comes after a meeting in Vienna this month between Paolo Scaroni, the head of Italian energy major ENI, and Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh.

The two discussed "potential new activities" in Iran subject to the lifting of sanctions -- something that can only happen under a comprehensive nuclear deal yet to be negotiated.

Years of US and EU sanctions have more than halved Iran's oil sales and crippled its economy.
 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also