Austrian President Heinz Fischer said he hoped to build bridges with Iran as he set off for Tehran on Monday, the first western head of state to visit Iran in more than a decade.
His visit follows the signing in July of a landmark deal between Iran and world powers on Tehran's nuclear program. Austria hosted the marathon talks culminating in the accord.
"Austria is a land of dialogue. We reject violence. We want to build bridges and want to seize every opportunity to reduce tensions and promote a climate that promises a better future than if we remain stuck in confrontation," said Fischer, whose role in Austria is largely ceremonial, Reuter reported. During his three-day trip, the Austrian president is accompanied by a delegation of senior business executives.
Fischer, whose predecessor Thomas Klestil in 2004 was the last western head of state to visit Iran, is scheduled to meet the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
