Iranian FM Wraps Up Five-Day European Tour

The German capital of Berlin was the first leg of Zarif’s tour of European countries, which started on Monday.

While in Berlin, the Iranian top diplomat met German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, Federal Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schauble, and German Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy Brigitte Zypries.

He also addressed the annual meeting of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Berlin.

Later on Wednesday, Zarif left the German capital for Rome, the second destination of his European tour.

During his visit to the Italian capital, the Iranian foreign minister held talks with Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, the President of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies Laura Boldrini, and Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano.

Zarif also visited the French capital of Paris on Thursday as the last leg of his five-day tour. While in Paris, he held separate meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, and the President of the French Senate Gérard Larcher.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi says the European tour was put on Zarif’s agenda after the country’s diplomatic apparatus felt the necessity for reviewing the latest developments in bilateral relations with the three states in various fields including politics, economy, commerce, banking, and industry.

Qassemi said in a recent interview that the need is highly felt for attracting these countries’ investments and paving the way for the visit of German, Italian, and French economic leaders to Iran as a prelude to promoting cooperation between the two sides.

The Iranian spokesman also referred to the issue of terrorism and the need for joint efforts to fight it as another reason for Zarif’s visits to these states.

He said terrorism threatens not only the Middle East but also the Europe, and added, “This requires us at this sensitive time to hold talks and exchange views with the three major European countries.”