Bonino: Rome anticipates official visit by Iranian FM

Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said Thursday that she expected a visit soon by her Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif for talks that would include a number of regional issues, after Zarif suddently cancelled a visit to Rome earlier in the day. The Italian minister said in a television interview that Zarif will soon make an official visit to the country, to discuss the Syrian issue, bilateral relations, particularly after Zarif announced Iran's participation in Geneva nuclear talks. Bonino, who was among the first to open channels of dialogue with Iran, called for "cautious" on the new government in Tehran, which she said was "a country worthy of respect," and to consider the possibility of reaching a transparent "solution on the nuclear issue that would allow overcome years cold relations with Tehran." On the Syrian crisis, Bonino said that "the road to peace negotiations in Geneva II has been increasingly difficult," including the lack of transparency by the Syrian opposition due to internal disputes. The Italian Foreign affairs ministry said Bonino will conduct a telephone conversation with Zarif regarding the current round of talks in Geneva on the nuclear issue as well as on the Syrian crisis, including talks on Tehran being part of the political solution in Syria.