Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting withSwiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann in Tehran on Saturday.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also attended the meeting.
The Leader said the Iranian public have apositive impression of the Swiss government and welcomed an increase in economic and scientific cooperation between Iran and Switzerland.
The volume of trade exchanges between Iran and Switzerland is small and unevenand Swiss tradespeopleand investorscan improve onthis statusby becoming awareofIrans plentifulcapacities, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out.
The Leader citedthe lack of any negative recordof Berncolluding withsome Western countries in their policies of pressure and sanctions against Iran as a goodcultural grounds for strengthening bilateral cooperation.
We have always regarded Switzerland as a hubof peace, friendship and cooperation, but some European countries are not like this and their interests are [served] through warmongering [policies] and the creation of divisions, Ayatollah Khamenei stated.
The Leader added that the Iranian people have been affected by thewarmongering policies ofsome European countriessuch as the provisionof European missiles and fighter jetsto former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein duringhis 1980-1988 war on Iran.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) attends a meeting between Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (R) and visiting Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann in Tehran on February 27, 2016. Khamenei.ir[/caption]Such an attitude has resulted in the creation of a negative impactin the mind of our nation but there is no such mindset in Iran about Switzerland, the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the Iranian government would give itsfullsupport and provide every legal guaranteeabout the enforcementof agreements between Tehran and Bern and urged the two countries to implement the deals with firmness.
The Swiss president, for his part, said Tehran and Bern enjoy deep-rooted and cordial relations.
He added that a roadmap, which has been envisaged during his earlier talks with President Rouhani, can help improve mutual relations.
Schneider-Ammann said his country needs to cooperate with Iran to help settle major challenges across the world, including in many European countries.
Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Schneider-Ammann arrived in Tehran on Friday. Earlier on Saturday, he held talks and attended a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart and also met withChairman of Irans Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
By Press TV
