Iran and France can work together to�end the ongoing destructive wars in the Middle East, specifically in Syria, says a senior Iranian official.
Ali Akbar Velayati, who advises Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on international affairs, made the remarks on Wednesday during a meeting with President of France�s National Assembly Claude Bartolone.
The French official arrived in Tehran on Monday at the head of a parliamentary delegation and is to stay in the Iranian capital until September 9.
�France has a longstanding record in Lebanon and Syria. Iran, too, enjoys good influence in these regions. They [Iran and France], therefore, can end these destructive wars through cooperation with each other,� Velayati stated.
France should follow its �independent policies� in the region, he said, adding, �We are prepared to help them in this regard, but, of course, based on respect for other countries� territorial integrity.�
�At the present time, both countries are faced with terrorism and both are against this phenomenon. Should these bilateral meetings continue, the two sides� interpretations of terrorism would further�converge,� Velayati noted.
The Iranian official hailed the �longstanding and deep-rooted� relations between the two sides, saying,��This relationship may have gone through vicissitudes, but there have been no bad or worrying memories between the two countries.�
Bartolone, for his part, expressed delight at �direct good and straightforward� exchanges he has�had during his meetings so far with Iran�s President Hassan Rouhani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, and other Iranian officials.
He also hailed Iran�s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers, saying, �The agreement changed Iran�s relationship with the international community.�
The French official further laid emphasis on the need for international agreements to address such important international issues�as terrorism, climate change, money laundering, and corruption.
Earlier on Tuesday,�Bartolone had�met with�Secretary of Iran�s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="556"]
Secretary of Iran�s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, center right, shakes hands with President of France�s National Assembly Claude Bartolone in Tehran, Iran, September 7, 2016.[/caption]The Iranian official noted during the meeting that some Western parties are after deepening and perpetuation of crises in the Middle East, warning, �Any talk about changing countries� political map and geographical frontiers will intensify conflicts and tensions,� he warned.
Prolongation of the crisis in Syria harms both the region and Europe, Shamkhani said, and cautioned, �France, as a country damaged by�terrorism, should do more to block�transfer of military, intelligence, and financial assistance to terrorists.�
He said those areas in the war-stricken Arab country, which are controlled by Daesh and al-Qaeda, are in urgent need of aid, adding that� sanctions imposed on the Syrian government, which bar aid�delivery to these areas, flagrantly contradict humanitarian approaches.
By Press TV
