In a meeting in Tehran on Sunday, the first deputy Majlis speaker and the Latvian deputy foreign minister underscored the significance of expansion of ties, ICANA reported.
"There are ample opportunities for enhancing cooperation in various political, economic, and commercial fields which need to be utilized to serve the interests of the two countries," lawmaker Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabifard said, adding that parliament welcomes any measure aimed at improving bilateral ties, especially regarding parliamentary cooperation between the two sides.
He criticized world powers, including the United States, for adopting double standards when it comes to dealing with such issues as human rights and nuclear weapons in the international arena, saying that such an approach has threatened peace and stability in the Middle East. "The silence of international bodies on the killing of the Palestinian people by the Zionist regime and the attacks against the defenseless Yemeni people are examples of the double standards adopted by the UN Security Council and the US," he asserted.
On the nuclear issue, the senior lawmaker stressed Iran's legitimate right to access nuclear energy for peaceful applications and said the Islamic Republic has conducted its nuclear activities transparently under the supervision of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors and within the framework of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Congratulating Latvia for assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2015, he said nuclear negotiations with the major powers can also provide an opportunity for the European countries to expand ties with Iran.
Andrejs Pildegovics, for his part, said his country seeks enhanced political and economic ties with Iran, describing the formation of a parliamentary friendship group with Iran in the Latvian parliament as a step toward achieving the objective. Expressing pleasure with the process of nuclear negotiations with the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany), he noted that mutual trust and continuation of negotiations can lead to "win-win" results for the two negotiating sides.
"During its presidency over the Council of the European Union, Latvia will use all its means to help solve regional and international challenges," Pildegovics stated.
