Pursuing the establishment of a European Union office in Tehran is firmly on the agenda of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, which has passed on the proposal presented by European envoys to the relevant authorities, the panel's spokesperson said.
"We support the opening of an office, especially under the present circumstances, in which we believe it can help strengthen Iran-Europe relations," Ali Najafi Khoshroudi also told ISNA.
European ambassadors in Tehran called for the opening of an EU office in the Iranian capital in a recent parliamentary meeting.
According to Khoshroudi, the envoys, including the ambassador of Austria whose country is currently holding the EU's rotating presidency, insisted that the headquarters in Tehran would help realize the potential for increasing mutual collaboration and facilitating economic and cultural relations as well as the exchange of visits among the two sides' citizens.
"The EU, as a multinational organization, has requested the opening of an office in Iran, which I personally think will help improve Iran-Europe ties," he said.
Khoshroudi said discussions on the subject have not reached a conclusion at the national level yet, but the contents of the session with European ambassadors have been conveyed to the Foreign Ministry and other state institutions, and the commission will continue to promote the plan.
>EU as a Counterbalance
Expanding ties with Europe, as one of the most influential political and economic blocs, is of critical importance to Iran against the backdrop of intensified US hostility against the country.
Following its departure from the landmark multinational nuclear deal in May, the US restored its economic sanctions on Tehran, a new set of which targeting Iran's oil exports and banking relations is due to be enacted in November.
To exert utmost pressure on Tehran and further push the country into a tight corner, the US is also taking measures against other states for continuing business with Iran.
The EU, a dominant party that has remained in the pact, is eager to salvage the deal and sustain ties with Iran, as it has spearheaded a drive to compensate Iran for US sanctions.
Experts believe the European office will pave the way for greater Iran-EU collaboration to counter the US harsh penalties.
Fereydoun Majlesi, an international affairs expert, earlier told the news agency that the move would facilitate EU's trade and transactions with Iran and help both sides better identify and fulfill their needs in different fields of economy.
Such an office will not have a "political" nature and would be more concerned with the "technical and trade" aspects of Iran-EU relations, he said.
