site.btaForeign Minister Mitov Talks with Iranian Officials

Foreign Minister Mitov Talks with Iranian Officials

Tehran, December 21 (BTA) - On the second day of his official visit to Iran, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov met with his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, Transportation Minister Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi and Culture Minister Ali Jannati, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry reported on Monday.

The session between Mitov and Zarif focused on the traditionally good political relations between Bulgaria and Iran, projects of mutual interest, the Middle East crisis and the refugee problem.

Mitov said: "Bulgaria attaches great importance to its relations with Iran, a country with an ancient civilization and rich cultural and historical heritage which plays an important role in the Near and Middle East."

Zarif said he is happy to welcome Mitov, whose visit to Iran is particularly beneficial.

The Bulgarian chief diplomat hailed the July 14, 2015 agreement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action concerning Iran's nuclear programme. He expressed appreciation for the constructive approach and the efforts of the Iranian negotiating team, including Foreign Minister Zarif's personal commitment.

Mitov noted that Bulgaria's trade with Iran has increased considerably. He said Iran can serve as a gateway for Bulgarian goods to other markets. The two ministers also discussed bilateral relations in the field of energy. They considered the possibility of making Bulgaria a gateway for Iranian natural gas to Europe.

During Mitov's meeting with Transportation Minister Akhoundi, the sides concurred that cooperation in the field of transport, particularly the development of a multimodal transport corridor from Bulgaria to Iran via the Black Sea, Georgia and Azerbaijan/Armenia, plays a major role in boosting bilateral trade. Mitov proposed that the next session of the Bulgaria-Iran Economic Commission be held in Tehran at the end of February.

Earlier in the day, Mitov also talked with Iranian Culture Minister Jannati. They signed a Programme for Exchange in Culture, Science, Education, Sports and the Media between the Governments of Bulgaria and Iran until 2018.