Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino announced Tehran’s readiness to improve relations with Rome in all fields.

Larijani said that energy, industries and infrastructure are potential fields for Iran and Italy cooperation.

He referred to age-old relations between Iran and Italy, and called on both governments to use their abundant capacities to broaden ties based on mutual interests.

He said on Sunday that parliamentary relations play an important role in promotion of Tehran-Rome relations.

Bonino, for her part, said that Italy pays due attention to enhanced cooperation with Tehran in different issues.

Bonino arrived in Tehran Saturday afternoon for an official visit which will include meetings with senior Iranian officials.

Bonino's two-day trip to the Iranian capital is taking place to reciprocate Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's recent visit to Italy.

On Friday, Iran's Ambassador to Rome Jahanbakhsh Mozaffari said Italy is fully aware of the advantages of the expansion of bilateral ties with Iran where its companies can find eye-catching economic opportunities which cannot be found in any other place in the world.

Mozaffari pointed to a previous visit by Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli to Iran in August following the election of President Hassan Rouhani and said, “Italy, as a European country which dispatched to Iran the first delegation at the deputy ministerial level, has sought to play a pioneering role in relations with Iran.”

He noted that the Italian foreign minister will meet with President Rouhani, foreign minister Zarif, and Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.

Mozaffari pointed out that Bonino is the first Italian foreign minister to visit Iran in nearly a decade and she will be accompanied by 20 Italian journalists.

Former Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema was in Tehran last week and had a series of meetings with high-ranking Iranian officials, including Expediency Council Chairman and former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

D'Alema was Italian Prime Minister since 1998-2000 and served as foreign minister in 2006-2008.
 

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