Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 8
By Khalid Kazimov -- Trend:
The presidents of Iran and Austria are presiding over the drafting of a comprehensive cooperation plan that outlines ways to boost mutual ties within a five-year perspective.
Hassan Rouhani welcomed his Austrian counterpart Heinz Fischer to Tehran in a meeting where they discussed improving bilateral ties after international sanctions on Iran are lifted, the Iranian presidential website reported Sept. 8.
Rouhani said there are great investment opportunities in energy, railroad, banking, insurance, tourism, science and research, ports development, etc., welcoming Austrian companies for joint work in Iran.
He said Tehran and Vienna will not only seek economic relations, but constructive cooperation in medical sciences, new technologies, aerospace, etc. are also conceivable.
Pointing to Iran's foreign policy after the comprehensive nuclear deal, he said Iran's message to the world is friendship and peace.
Rouhani hoped that the deal would enable Iran to take bigger steps to contribute to regional peace and establish comprehensive relations with neighboring countries.
He called for international effort to fight terrorism and extremism especially in the Middle East.
Fischer, for his part, said his country welcomes multifaceted relations with Iran as a country with old history and rich culture.
He also urged strong will by all countries in fighting terrorism and thanked the Islamic Republic for its extensive efforts in meeting terrorism.
In the same meeting, Austria's Federal Minister of Science, Research and Economy Reinhold Mitterlehner said he is engaged in talks in Tehran for drafting the 2020 cooperation plan which covers areas such as energy, industries, transportation, science, and culture.
Fischer's trip to Tehran, along with a delegation of representatives from various fields from Austria, follows growing favor toward Iran with European countries after a nuclear deal that was reached July 14 and is expected to remove sanctions on Iran.
Fischer is the first European head of state to have visited Iran after the deal.
Edited by CN