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Tehran, Bern Announce Roadmap for Coop.

Tehran, Bern Announce Roadmap for Coop.
Tehran, Bern Announce Roadmap for Coop.

Iran and Switzerland released a joint statement on Saturday, outlini.agreed roadmap to raise the level of bilateral cooperation.

It set out the details of the roadmap agreement in 13 articles covering a wide range of areas, including politics, trade and finance, transport, agriculture, tourism, science, research and technology, environment, human rights, migration and consular relations.

The statement came after a meeting between a delegation of Swiss officials, led by President Johann Schneider-Ammann, and their Iranian counterparts in Tehran.

In a meeting later in the day, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Iran welcomes expansion of economic ties with Switzerland.

"Trade volume between Iran and Switzerland is small and unbalanced, and Swiss businessmen and investors can help improve trade through obtaining information about Iran's enormous potentials," he said.

Addressing a joint press conference after a separate meeting with Schneider-Ammann on Saturday, President Hassan Rouhani said the two sides are keen to draw on their similar stance on bilateral and regional issues to deepen ties, IRNA reported.

"We discussed the reconnection of Swiss banks to Iran's central and other banks, which is crucial to the success of the roadmap to improve bilateral economic cooperation," he said.

Iran was for years subject to international sanctions over its disputed nuclear program, targeting key sectors of its economy, including banking.

A July nuclear deal negotiated with P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) took effect last month to end the sanctions in return for temporary curbs on Tehran's nuclear program.

Rouhani said the migrant crisis, which erupted in the aftermath of the terrorists gaining ground in the region, particularly in Syria and Iraq, was among the topics discussed in the meeting.

"To eliminate terrorists, countries have no alternative but to help boost international cooperation and successfully implement the UN initiative called a World Against Violence and Extremism," he added.

Schneider-Ammann said his side is ready to provide "efficient banking and financial services", hoping that Tehran-Bern direct flight link will be established soon.

The European country hosted some rounds of nuclear negotiations that resulted in the landmark deal after about two years.

"Switzerland will effectively play its role during the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and as it has promised, it will help facilitate Iran joining the World Trade Organization," he said, using the official title of the accord.

Financialtribune.com