Iranian, Spanish FMs discuss issues of mutual interest

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Wednesday morning held talks with his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares. They discussed the latest situation in Afghanistan, Iran’s relations with the European Union, and also relations between Iran and Spain.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Wednesday morning held talks with his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares. They discussed the latest situation in Afghanistan, Iran’s relations with the European Union, and also relations between Iran and Spain.
Referring to the 400-year history of Iran-Spain relations, Amirabdollahian stressed the need for serious efforts to further improve ties. He said relations in the political, economic and parliamentary spheres are moving in the right direction, but new projects must be defined in the fields of health, industry, science, technology, culture, tourism, netting, the private sector’s activity and the like. He praised the cooperation in the fields of health and medicine at the height of the Covid pandemic as an unforgettable point in cooperation between the two countries.
Amirabdollahian also pointed out the existence of banking problems for students and their travelling and expressed hope that these problems would be resolved through joint cooperation.
Emphasizing Tehran's determination to define a balanced relationship with Europe, Amirabdollahian said, "Europe's relations with Iran should not be a function of the unconstructive behavior and attitude of the United States towards Iran". He also underlined the need for serious efforts to improve relations between Tehran and Madrid. The foreign minister said in the foreign policy of the new government, relations with Europe, that is, all European countries, have priority and are not limited to the troika.
While confirming the remarks of the Iranian foreign minister, José Manuel Albares noted that Spain is doing its best to improve the level of political and trade relations, and that’s why the country decided to join INSTEX. Albares also spoke of the declining trend in trade relations with Iran since 2018 and stressed the need to change this situation through mutual efforts.
The Spanish foreign minister also exchanged views with Amirabdollahian on the developments in Afghanistan, saying the country is ready to help with the vaccination of Afghan refugees in Iran.
The two top diplomats referred to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and urged the international community to pay serious attention to the issue and draw some red lines in this regard.