Zarif calls for expansion of Tehran-Athens relations

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged the expansion of bilateral relations between Tehran and Athens.

The political relations between the two countries have always been at a good level, said Zarif during a meeting with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Kotzias, in the Greek capital city of Athens on Thursday, adding that the two sides should try to bolster economic ties which have been frayed in recent years due to anti-Iran sanctions.

Zarif also hailed the resistance of the two nations in the face of “hardships and external pressures.”

The Iranian and Greek nations, with their rich historical background, have shown that they will never succumb to hardships and external pressures, he went on to say.

The Iranian top diplomat also touched upon the increasing threat of the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group in the Middle East region, urging a comprehensive plan to contain the menace.

Zarif further rejected a military solution to deal with ISIL threats, adding, “We need to engage in a lot more serious effort to counter the culture, the ideology” of the extremist terror group.