Italy urges enhanced ties with Iran

The Italian foreign ministry in a statement called for the further improvement of relations and cooperation with Iran in all fields. Officials from the Iranian and Italian Foreign Ministries, in a meeting on Wednesday, underlined the necessity of facilitating issuing visas for citizens of the two countries. In a one-day meeting, Italian Foreign Ministry Secretary General Michele Valensise and Iranian Foreign Ministry Consulate Director General Seyed Hossein Mirfakhar, who is in Italy heading a delegation, exchanged views on the issue. The Italian Foreign Ministry issued a statement after the meeting, and called the negotiation and expansion of cooperation between the two countries important and declared that the two delegations considered ways to strengthen cultural and student exchanges and facilitating issuing tourist visa for citizens of the two countries. In relevant remarks, Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta expressed Rome's willingness to further expand its bilateral ties with Tehran during the tenure of Iran's President-elect Hassan Rouhani. "I am well aware of the importance of positive relations with the Islamic Republic and will make every effort to improve bilateral ties," the Italian prime minister said in June. Letta reiterated the expansion of his country's ties with Iran, and hoped that Iran's president-elect would also have a positive view about the Tehran-Rome relations. Also in June, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in a congratulatory message to Rouhani called for enhanced relations between Tehran and Rome. Rouhani won Iran's presidential election on June 14 with over 50% of the votes cast in his favor.