‘Iran, LatAm states must boost ties’

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic and Latin American countries need to improve their relations in various fields.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran stresses expansion of ties with Latin American countries, and cooperation with these states can be promoted in bilateral relations as well as in consultations on regional and international issues,” Zarif said in a meeting with Bolivia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Alurralde in Tehran on Sunday.

He added that Iran and Bolivia have the necessary capacity to strengthen economic cooperation, adding that the two countries can also enhance ties in other sectors.

The senior Iranian official further pointed to a nuclear agreement clinched between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia – plus Germany in July and said, “We showed that pressure and economic sanctions against countries will be of no avail.”

On July 14, Iran and the six countries succeeded in finalizing the text of the nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in the Austrian capital of Vienna.

The Bolivian diplomat, for his part, called for bolstering cooperation with Iran, particularly in the energy sector.

Alurralde also underlined the need for the two countries to increase exchange of political and economic delegations.

Threat of Takfiri terrorism

In a separate meeting with Alurralde, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned against the repercussions of growing extremism as well as Takfiri terrorism on regional and global security.

“Some players are using terrorist groups as a tool to pursue their political goals in this region,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

He expressed Iran’s willingness to hold consultations with Bolivia on mutual relations and regional issues.

During their meeting, the Iranian and Bolivian diplomats also exchanged views on the latest developments in Latin America and West Asia.