TEHRAN, March 10 (MNA) EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton and the EU delegation of her aids in a single-day visit to Tehran have met with high-ranking Iranian officials.Catherine Ashton is the high representative for six world powers in Iran-Sextet nuclear talks and her visit to Iran will be of great importance and influence to the development of next round of negotiations.
Irans Deputy FM for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araghchi received her at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran Saturday evening.
Early Sunday morning Ashton met Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Since the 11thcabinet started its work in 2013, Zarif has been Irans chief nuclear negotiator. Zarif received Ashton at theForeign Ministry buildingwhich highly attracted Lady Ashton by its Iranian-Islamic architecture.
After their meeting Irans FM and EU foreign policy chief held ajoint press conferenceand answered to the questions of IRIB and BBC correspondents.Asked about nuclear deal Zarif told that Iran would sign a deal which respected Iranian national rights, conceding that Iran should address concerns of international community as well.
Next meeting of Ms Ashton was at thepresidency buildingwhere Irans President Hassan Rouhani received her. Rouhani held that Iran and the European Union can hold talks and have cooperation on regional issues including the fight against terrorism and extremism, the issues of Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and narcotics trafficking.Also ashton reiterated that the EU completely acknowledges the important role of Iran in the region and is ready to develop more dynamic ties with the country.
After the luncheon feast by Irans FM in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ashton met with Irans Parliament speaker Ali Larijani atthe Islamic Consultative Assembly in Baharestan.
Next Ashton meeting went on with Irans former secretary of theSupreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili who has also been Irans chief nuclear negotiator before the 11thcabinet came into work.
The meeting of Ashton and Jalili was at Supreme National Security Council building where she also met with the present secretary of Irans Supreme National Security CouncilAli Shamkhani.
The last of her Sunday meetings was with the special aid to the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the head ofStrategic Research Center of Expediency Discernment Council.
After a hectic working day the EU Foreign Policy chief and the delegation of her aids left Tehran to historical city of Isfahan to sightseeing from the citys historic monuments.
By Mehr News Agency
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