Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) and his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius, shake hands during a meeting in Paris on January 16, 2015. (AFP photo)[/caption]Tehran, Jan 16, IRNA Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed the importance of respecting freedom of expression alongside freedom of opinion.
He made the remarks in a meeting with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius in Paris on Friday.
He expressed sympathy with the French government and nation over the recent terrorist attack and said equal attention should be simultaneously paid to the basic principles of freedom of expression and freedom of opinion.
The two foreign ministers also reviewed regional and international developments and discussed issues of mutual interest including Irans nuclear program.
The Iranian foreign minister expressed satisfaction over the improving trend of mutual relations and stressed the need for efforts to further bolster ties and remove existing obstacles specially the banking areas.
Zarif pointed to numerous areas of potential cooperation which was also highlighted by Fabius.
They also discussed regional development including situation in Syrian, Lebanon and Iran.
They focused on Irans role in establishing and restoring stability and peace in the region.
Zarif, who is on a tour to Europe for talks with his counterparts over Tehran's nuclear program, held seven hours of talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva on Wednesday. He then left Geneva for Berlin, where he met his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Zarif and Steinmeier underlined that Iran and the six world powers have to clinch a comprehensive deal at the earliest to put an end to years of dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.
Zarif, then, met EU Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini on Thursday afternoon in Brussels.
They also discussed a wide range of topics, from human rights to the major regional crises in the Middle East, such as what's going on in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and the common threat posed by Daesh terrorist group.
Zarif and the US Secretary of State John Kerry started another meeting in Paris on Friday evening after they held three rounds of talks in Geneva on Wednesday.
By IRNA
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