Iranian FM having hectic days of diplomacy in Munich

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in separate meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, conferred with his counterparts from France, Austria, Germany, and Finland on the latest international and regional developments as well as expansion of bilateral ties. During his meeting with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, the two officials exchanged views on major regional and international issues as well as mutual cooperation. The top Iranian diplomat underlined the good atmosphere created by the implementation of the Geneva nuclear deal struck by Iran and the six major world powers for the promotion of Tehran-Paris relations. Fabius, for his part, underlined the importance of the Geneva deal, and expressed the hope that the two sides would take more effective steps to reach a final accord based on mutual respect. In another meeting with his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz, Zarif pointed to the long-standing relations between Tehran and Vienna, and called for paving the ground for the expansion of bilateral ties. Kurz, for his part, voiced his country's willingness to widen cooperation with Tehran in all the various spheres, particularly in economic and cultural domains.   The top Iranian diplomat also conferred with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on different issues of mutual interests, specially promotion and consolidation of all-out ties. The top German diplomat, whose country in a member of the Group 5+1 powers that are party to the nuclear talks with Iran, voiced optimism about the future of the Geneva deal the two sides sealed late in November.    In another meeting, Zarif and Finish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja discussed various issues, including the Geneva accord, consolidation of ties between Tehran and Helsinki, and the necessity of utilizing all the abundant potentials and capacities existing in Iran and Finland to strengthen their friendly relations. The 50th Munich Security Conference started work in Munich on January 31 and will end work on February 2. A total of 20 head of states and governments, 50 foreign and defense ministers and 10 heads of international organizations participated in the confab.