Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said to promote security and stop the spread of terrorism in the Middle East, the ground should be prepared for attracting investments and creating jobs for the youth.
In a meeting with visiting Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann in Tehran on Sunday, Larijani noted that to improve the Mideast situation, some regional and trans-regional states should stop fueling tensions and put aside the idea of using terrorists as a tool to advance their interests, which lead to instability.
"[Regional] countries should avoid warmongering and hostile behaviors ... because it would cause problems for all," ISNA quoted him as saying.
Larijani said in view of stable relations between the two sides and new laws facilitating foreign investments in Iran, Iran and Switzerland can tap into potentials to expand industrial, scientific and technological cooperation.
Schneider-Ammann said he believes engaging in dialogue can help heal divisions between regional states and settle unrests in the Middle East—a major cause of the worst refugee crisis for Europe in decades.
"We hope that by taking this approach, the situation in Syria, Yemen and other war-torn countries would be addressed," he said.
Over a million asylum-seekers reached Europe’s shores in 2015, with a majority of them fleeing Mideast countries ravaged by terrorism.
Schneider-Ammann said his country is willing to develop partnership with Tehran and open a new chapter in ties. The president said his accompanying delegation consists of heads of Swiss universities and research centers as well as CEOs from various businesses, which shows Bern's desire for increasing scientific and economic cooperation.
The high-level delegation, headed by Schneider-Ammann, arrived in Tehran on Friday.
On Saturday, the Swiss president met the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani, among other high-ranking officials. Iran and Switzerland released a joint statement on Saturday, outlining a joint 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, finance, transport, agriculture, tourism, science, technology, environment, human rights, migration and consular relations.
