Top MPs discuss development of Iran-Switzerland ties

The heads of the parliaments of Iran and Switzerland weighed plans to promote cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

According to Tasnim news agency, speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and President of the National Council of Switzerland Andreas Aebi held a meeting in Tehran on Monday.

Speaking to reporters at a joint press conference after the meeting, Qalibaf hailed the age-old and deep-rooted relations between the two nations in the political, social, economic and cultural arenas.

He said they have held talks about a range of issues, including Switzerland’s representation of interests of the US, Canada and Saudi Arabia in Iran, the JCPOA and Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, mutual cooperation in agriculture, water management and animal husbandry, enhancement of tourism industry, and continuation of parliamentary interaction between the two countries.

Qalibaf also pointed to the talks about the dire situation in Afghanistan and its people’s needs, noting that Iran and Switzerland have expressed readiness to help the Afghan nation.

For his part, the senior Swiss lawmaker highlighted Iran’s significant role in the region, saying Switzerland is also ready to play its role as a mediator perfectly considering that it represents the US, Canada and Saudi Arabia’s interests in Iran.

Pointing to Iran’s woodlands and rich natural resources, Aebi said special emphasis has been placed on agricultural issues, cooperation in water and land management, and food security.

The president of the National Council of Switzerland also stressed the need to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, calling for closer cooperation in the provision of humanitarian assistance, which he described as an achievement of the modern era.

ME