Tehran, May 10, IRNA - Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani said on Sunday Iran has always been serious and determined in the nulcear negotiations adding upon mutual honesty and seriousness of the other party, the talks can result in expected results.

He made the remarks in a meeting with visiting South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

Larijani also supported expansion of ties between Tehran and Pretoria and said, 'Following the fall of apartheid regime, Iran has welcomed friendly bilateral relations with South Africa in all areas.'

Referring to the impediments on the way of increasing economic and trade cooperation, he said settlement of financial and banking problems will develop trade and business in par with the existing satisfactory political relations.

The speaker also suggested that Tehran-Pretoria cooperation can have very positive effects on the sustainable peace and security in Asia and Africa and the world.

There is no alternative but international cooperation to counter regional and global challenges, Larinaji stressed.

The South African minister, for her part, thanked Iran for supporting her country in the post-apartheid period and said Pretoria recognizes Tehran's influential status in the region and the world and is after all-out expansion of the bilateral ties.

Mashabane said South Africa has been negatively affected by anti-Iran sanctions and welcomed planning necessary arrangments to imporve economic and trade ties.

On the crisis in Yemen in the wake of Saudi-led aggression, she rejected use of force to settle differences and suggested diplomacy as the only solution.

Military option can have unwanted and harmful repercussions including spread of insecurity and terrorism in the region and world, she added, urging closer cooperation between Iran and South Africa thanks to their common viewpoints.

By IRNA