Italy PM to pay landmark visit to Iran next week: Rome

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will reportedly pay a two-day landmark visit to Iran next week, becoming the first major Western leader to travel to Iran after the lifting of international sanctions against Tehran.

According to Press TV, the premier's office said in a statement on Monday that Renzi would be in Tehran on April 12 and 13, without giving further details of his itinerary.

The trip will come three months after President Hassan Rouhani paid a visit to Italy, the Vatican and France in an important bid to rebuild relations with Europe after Iran and the 5+1 group of countries started to implement a nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), they reached in July 2015.

During President Rouhani’s visit to Rome in January, Iran and Italy signed contracts worth up to 17 billion euros (USD 18.4 billion).

SS