Switzerland's Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said he had "fruitful" talks in Iran on Monday regarding "peace, economic development and human rights."
Cassis held talks with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, before later meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
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The Swiss top diplomat held the meetings as part of a three-day visit to Tehran celebrating a century of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Swiss Embassy in Tehran handles US interests in Iran, since ties were cut in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Switzerland has also played a major role in prisoner swaps between Tehran and Washington.
"Peace, economic development and human rights – fruitful discussion with my counterpart," Cassis wrote on Twitter after the talks.
"I'm glad we could establish together the Swiss Humanitarian Channel for the transfer of food and medical supplies to the people of Iran," Cassis said on Twitter.
Peace, economic development and human rights - fruitful discussion with my counterpart 🇮🇷, @JZarif. I'm glad we could establish together the Swiss Humanitarian Channel for the transfer of food and medical supplies to the people of Iran. pic.twitter.com/BWsReKmQts
— Ignazio Cassis (@ignaziocassis) September 7, 2020
"Excellent talks on bilateral, regional & global issues. While appreciating Swiss efforts to mitigate US sabotage, a return to normal trade is global priority," Zarif said on Twitter.
Pleased to host Swiss FM @ignaziocassis on centennial of diplomatic relations—ties that endure based on mutual respect.
Excellent talks on bilateral, regional & global issues. While appreciating Swiss efforts to mitigate US sabotage, a return to normal trade is global priority. pic.twitter.com/7Xg6yEXrQK
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) September 7, 2020
Rouhani reiterated that Iran was "open" to the United States reversing its "mistakes," repairing "its illegal actions" and rejoining the nuclear agreement, said state news agency IRNA.
According to the US State Department, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke on the phone with Cassis before his Tehran visit, sparking speculation that the visit involved talks about possible Tehran-Washington relations.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh denied the "speculations" on Monday, saying it was a planned visit delayed over the coronavirus outbreak and "not related to Iran and the US."
This article was originally published by i24NEWS.
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