Italian FM to Visit Tehran on Saturday

Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino is due to visit Tehran on Saturday to discuss the latest bilateral and regional developments with Iranian officials.

She will visit Tehran for two days at the invitation of her Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The visit will be the first by an Italian foreign minister in ten years.

In November, Zarif met and conferred with Mrs. Bonino during his day-long visit to Rome.

Former Italian prime minister Massimo D’Alema who is presently on a visit to Iran has so far met with Foreign Minister Zarif and Chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Speaking at a meeting with Zarif in Tehran on Tuesday, D’Alema noted that sustainable peace, stability and security would not be established in the Middle East without Iran’s effective role.

He further underlined Iran has enormous capacities in political, economic and commercial fields and can serve as a perfect partner for the European countries.

D’Alema said that the European countries are deeply interested in the finalization of a nuclear agreement between Tehran and the six world powers.

D’Alema arrived in Tehran Tuesday morning to confer on the latest regional and international developments and discuss ways to bolster the bilateral ties between Tehran and Rome.

Speaking at a meeting with Hashemi Rafsanjani in Tehran on Tuesday, D’Alema said that Italy has suffered great losses due to the international sanctions imposed on Iran.