TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in a meeting with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Rasim Ljajic in Tehran on Tuesday deplored the West’s sanctions policy against Iran as a strategic mistake.

“The policy of imposing sanctions against Iran by the West was a strategic mistake because such attempts could not make Iran give up pursuing its legitimate right to make a peaceful use of the nuclear know-how,” Larijani said.

Larijani, meantime, criticized some countries’ superficial confrontation with terrorism, and said, “International cooperation, including with the European Union, is needed for curbing this heinous phenomenon (terrorism) and we hope that the EU will play an effective role in this regard.”

The Iranian parliament speaker pointed to the status quo of Iran-Serbia relations, and said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has a positive view about the expansion of relations with the Balkan states, including Serbia, and the Iranian parliament supports the growing cooperation between the two countries in different areas.”

Larijani expressed the hope that Iran and Serbia would expand friendly relations through increasing exchanges of visits by the two countries’ diplomatic, economic and parliamentary delegations.

Ljajic, who is also Serbia's Trade, Communications and Tourism Minister, for his part, voiced pleasure in his visit to Iran, and said, “Serbia is interested in widening ties with Iran as an important country in the region and the world and this visit also takes place within the same framework.”

He underlined his and other Serbian Muslims' interest in expanding ties with Iran, and said, “Serbia’s Muslims play an important role in bolstering friendly relations with Iran, and this capacity needs to be used properly.”

Ljajic thanked Iran’s active role in the establishment of stability and security in the Middle East, and said, “Spread of terrorism is a major threat to the entire Muslim states that should be confronted through collective efforts.”

He criticized the double-standards of the US and some western countries, and said, “Like Iran, Serbia is also suffering from the West’s double-standards with regard to different issues.”

“Serbia’s diplomacy is based on efforts to normalize relations with its neighbors and help promote peace and stability in the Balkan,” Ljajic added.

He, meantime, expressed the hope that Iran and the Group 5+1 would strike a final deal and Iran and Serbia would broaden their relations in political, economic and parliamentary fields.

Iran and Serbia have in recent years tried to develop their bilateral relations and mutual cooperation in various fields, specially in economy.

Larijani and his Serbian counterpart Maya Gojkovic in a meeting in Geneva in October 2014, emphasized the need for both Tehran and Belgrade to do their best to widen and deepen their relations in all domains.

In the meeting held on the sidelines of the 131st meeting of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the two top parliamentarians called on relevant officials to utilize entire capacities of their countries to boost Tehran-Belgrade cooperation.

By Fars News Agency