Germany wants strong ties with Iran in all domains; Steinmeier

Steinmeier made the remark in an interview with reporters in presence of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif.

He said good talks were held between Tehran and Berlin in the meetings held twice in Tehran.

He also referred to nuclear talks in Lausanne and Vienna, which resulted in nuclear accord, and said all the efforts were fruitful and the two sides strived for a solution in light of patience and endeavors.

He said solution of nuclear dispute was good and the way the problem was settled can serve as a model for other disputes on which Iranian and German officials held discussions.

'We are jointly concerned over stability and preserving territorial integrity of the Middle Eastern states, especially Iraq and Syria. Over recent weeks, continuous and lengthy sessions were held on Syria with an aim to find a diplomatic solution through ceasefire and improvement of humanitarian assistance. We hope that the talks will soon resume in Geneva on the basis of joint Vienna accord.'

He predicted that the next round of talks will be tougher than before. 'The talks will not be easy but we hope the Syrian opposition will decide to take part in the Geneva talks.'

'Syrian issue and stability in the Middle East will keep us busy as before,' he concluded.

Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif and also said that Iran can be an important trade partner for Germany.

'As a developed state enjoying sophisticated technologies, Iran can serve as an important trade, economic and diplomatic partner for Germany in the region,' said Zarif in a press conference after meeting his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

He said Iran-Germany relations are highly consolidated and age-old.

He added that only in a very short period in history, bilateral relations have faced difficulty and 'of course, we have passed behind the difficulty and our approach towards future is very good.'

The Iranian minister said presence of German companies and financial and banking institutions in Iran as well as bilateral economic cooperation will be in favor of both sides, regional and global stability.

Zarif said Iran and Germany share highly close stances on many issues to guarantee peace and security in the region.

'We believe that extremism is a danger for all of us and today, Germany government and people, who host a large number of refugees hosting in their country, have a close watch on outcome of violence and extremism in our region.'

He added. 'In our opinion extremism will not be limited to any region and confronting the need will be possible in light of global solidarity. We should find a diplomatic solution to campaign against terrorism and extremism because military solutions are only part of our campaign against extremism.

Iran foreign minister added that acomprehensive solution need to be found for cultural, economic and social issues, for return of those feeling marginalized, and for preventing access of extremists to financial, human and arms resources. In these fields, we need more than anything to solve regional problems through diplomatic channels. As old partner of Germany for having bilateral relations, regional relations with the EU and its important countries like Germany, we are highly interested in having more discussions on Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain and Lebanon.'

END