Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Dr Hamidreza Assefi, on Friday said that the recent European tour of the minister of foreign affairs, Dr Kamal Kharrazi has been quite successful.
Dr Assefi added: During his European visit, Dr Kharrazi visited and held sensitive talks with high-ranking authorities in Italy, Belgium, Ireland, France and Britain.
Issues of international significance and those of topmost importance in foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran were discussed between Dr Kharrazi and the European authorities, he went on to say.
Dr Assefi Said: Keeping in mind that the meeting of board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) is going to be held soon, one of the axes of Dr Kharrazi`s discussions with European leaders was elaborating on the peaceful nature of Iran`s nuclear activities and righteous expectations of Tehran with regard to the fact that it has fulfilled its commitments.
Dr Assefi described the general atmosphere of Dr Kharrazi`s talks with European authorities as very positive , friendly and with full understanding on the part of European sides of the stances of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Iraqi crisis and the crimes committed by the Zionist regime in the occupied Palestine territories were among other issues which were discussed in detail during the talks, said Dr Assefi adding that Iran`s views and analyses on the said issues were transferred o the European sides who were unanimously stressing on the accuracy of those views and the need for paying attention to them.
Dr Assefi added: The progress achieved in bilateral relations with each of those European countries , in political, economic and cultural fields was surveyed in the talks, and decisions were made accordingly.
Tehran`s relations with the European countries have been improving significantly during the last few months, he pointed out , adding : it is expected that by Dr Kharrazi`s visit to the said states, the ties would be further accelerated.
He reiterated: The expansion and flourishing of relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the European countries has been to the extent that has raised serious discontent among political circles of the United States, in such a way that these days we witnessed raising charges like those that the US president George W.
Bush has wrongly attributed to Iran ,or fabricating news like the distorted report that New York Times has published on Dr Kharrazi`s meeting with Frencg persident Jacque Chirac.
Referring to the meeting between Dr Kharrazi and Jacque Chirac, Dr Assefi pointed out that the meeting was held in a very friendly and respectful atmosphere, and the French official described Iran as an important and reliable partner of France and axis of security in the region.