Iran’s FM Zarif Meets Croatian President, Labor Minister

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is in Croatia on the third leg of his tour of the Balkans, held separate talks with the Eastern European country’s president and minister of labor and pension system.

In the meeting with Zarif in Zagreb, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic pointed to her recent trip to Iran and said the two countries have close and friendly political ties.

Croatia is ready to promote bilateral relations with Iran in all areas, she said, adding that merchants of the Balkan country are very interested in cooperation with their Iranian counterparts.

Zarif, for his part, hailed the friendship between the two nations and said Grabar-Kitarovic’s recent visit to Iran opened a new chapter in the history of bilateral relations between Tehran and Zagreb.

In a separate meeting, Zarif and Croatian Minister of Labor and Pension System Marko Pavic explored avenues for the development of Iran-Croatia relations and closer cooperation in various fields, including energy, investment, industries, technical and vocational training, and banking.

Zarif started his tour of the Balkans on Monday in a bid to boost relations between the Islamic Republic and countries in the Eastern European region.

After visiting Serbia and Bulgaria, Zarif is now in Croatia and plans to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina on the last leg of his tour to hold talks with senior officials of the Balkan country.

A high-ranking political and economic delegation, including a number of Iranian entrepreneurs from the public and private sectors, are accompanying the top diplomat.