Minister Kristian Vigenin met with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran
26 November 2013 News
Bulgaria highly appreciates the traditional relations with Iran and sees a significant potential for bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest. We welcome the positive developments in the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program and the agreement reached in Geneva, and we hope that a permanent and mutually acceptable solution to the issue will be found, which will give way for further utilizing the development potential of the Bulgarian- Iranian relations. This was said by Minister Kristian Vigenin during his today’s meeting with Dr. Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran and member of the Iranian negotiating team on the issue of Iran's nuclear program.
On his part, Dr. Takht-Ravanchi noted that the agreement reached on Iran's nuclear program is beneficial to both Iran and the other countries. "The only way to have a better world is for everyone to feel victorious. Fortunately, that is exactly what happened in Geneva," he said. In his words, the new government in Tehran has sent a clear message that it is ready to pursue a policy of friendship, openness and strive for better understanding.
Minister Vigenin and Deputy Minister Takht-Ravanchi discussed also the development of the bilateral relations and identified areas in which the cooperation and dialogue must be strengthened, taking into account the dynamics of the issues related to Iran's nuclear program, and the presence of sanctions regime. Among the areas of mutual interest they identified trade, energy, culture and education.
The two agreed that there is still an untapped potential in the areas of trade and economic cooperation, and in parallel with the removal of part of the sanctions, efforts should be made towards its expansion. Minister Vigenin and Dr. Takht-Ravanchi indicated the resumption of the regular political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries, the preparation for holding meetings of the Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation and the Joint Committee on Tourism as possiblesteps in that direction.
Kristian Vigenin and Dr. Majid Takht-Ravanchi exchanged views on issues of international and regional character, including the crisis in Syria. They shared the opinion that seeking a political solution to the Syrian conflict is necessary and expressed hope for the success of the forthcoming " Geneva -2 " conference.