In an interview with ISNA, Director General of Consular Affairs at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alireza Mahmoudi said, “The most important issues we intend to raise are prisoners, facilitating travel, issues related to sailors and fishermen, and supporting foreign immigrants”.

Emphasizing that they have been trying to hold joint consular meetings with the Persian Gulf states regularly to address the problems faced by Iranian people, sailors, ships and those whose livelihoods depend on the sea, Mahmoudi said, “Last week, the first consular meeting between Iran and Oman was held in Tehran, and the issue of Iranian prisoners in Oman and facilitating the travel of Iranian citizens to this Arab country were discussed”.

Referring to the recent Iran-Kuwait consular meeting, he stated, “Following this meeting, 19 Iranian prisoners were transferred to Iran”.

Mahmoudi emphasized that one of the important issues that Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian have been focusing on in the last two years during his talks with officials of various countries is consular issues.

He also announced that they are negotiationg with several countries to reach a visa-free agreement and when these negotiations reach a conclusion, the names of these countries will be announced.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Mahloudi noted that they have signed an agreement with 22 countries on prisoner exchange and are negotiating with 20 other countries in this regard.