Supreme Leader Underlines Iran’s Positive View on Cooperation with Italy

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said Iran holds a “positive” view of Italy, expressing the hope that visit by the European country’s prime minister would further strengthen Iran’s optimistic view.

“Our view about cooperation with Italy and your government is a different and positive view and we hope that the visit (by Matteo Renzi) would boost the view,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with Renzi and his accompanying delegation in Tehran on Tuesday.

Pointing to Rome’s behavior toward Iran during Iraqi imposed war on the country in the 1980s, the Leader said Italy exercised more logical behavior compared with some Western countries.

“The Islamic Republic welcomes improvement of ties with Italy in different fields, economic cooperation in particular.”

The Leader at the same time criticized visits by European delegations to Iran for lacking “tangible and practical results”.

“Some European governments and companies have been visiting Iran and are in talks (with Iran), but the outcome of these negotiations has not yet been tangible,” the Leader said.

He said some sides blame the US for the lack of tangible results, adding the assessment seems to be acceptable given Americans’ track record and behavior.

“As even now they (the Americans) are not acting as they should in fulfilling their obligations [made] throughout the nuclear talks…,” Imam Khamenei said.

Ayatollah Khamenei further said Iran and Italy can cooperate in fighting terrorism.

“A number of European countries used to support certain violent terrorist groups for some time and today the dangerous and overarching wave of terrorism has reached Europe too,” the Leader added.

Ayatollah Khamenei cited the US’s financial and arms support for terrorist groups as an obstacle to the eradication of terrorism.

The Italian prime minister started a visit to Tehran earlier in the day at the head of a 250-strong political and economic delegation.

Six documents for cooperation were later signed during a high-level meeting presided over by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Renzi.