Visit by FDFA State Secretary Yves Rossier to Iran
Bern, 24.07.2015 - The State Secretary of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Yves Rossier, was in Iran from Monday 20 to Thursday 23 July 2015 for political discussions that take place on a regular basis between Switzerland and Iran. The last discussions of this kind took place in Murten in 2014.
Mr Rossier met several Iranian officials, including his counterpart the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for American and European affairs, Majid Takht Ravanchi, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif. In addition, he held talks with Ali Akbar Velayati, adviser on foreign affairs to the supreme leader, Mohammad Javad Larijani, secretary of the Human Rights Council in the judiciary, Saeed Iravani, vice-secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and the head of the Presidential Office and Chief of Staff, Mohammad Nahavandian.
The talks focused on a number of political issues including the recent comprehensive agreement on Iran's nuclear programme. This agreement sends a strong message, showing that major international political differences can be settled peacefully through diplomacy. The time frame for the lifting of sanctions and bilateral economic relations were also discussed, as were regional political issues, in particular the situations in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Iran's relations with its neighbours. Switzerland and Iran have also agreed on the next steps in their established dialogues on human rights and justice.
Visits to the two important provinces of Khuzestan and Khorasan rounded off the FDFA State Secretary's official visit to Iran. The official meetings in these regions permitted discussions on the consequences of the conclusion of the agreement for the country's economy and its political position both in the region and on the international stage.
Address for enquiries
FDFA Communication
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55
E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA
Publisher
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
