The Brazilian president says her country is eager to see sanctions against Iran lifted as soon as possible so bilateral relations, which suffered a setback due to sanctions, can recover.
"Sanctions have hurt both Iran and Brazil," Dilma Rousseff said in a meeting with her Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday.
"We welcome early lifting of sanctions on Iran," she was quoted by IRNA as saying.
Under an accord reached with the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) in mid-July, Tehran will swap temporary constraints on its nuclear program for sanctions relief.
"Brazil highly values Iran for its culture and civilization," Rousseff said, calling for an improvement in economic cooperation as well as relations in such domains as agriculture, science and technology.
"Brasilia and Tehran share similar views as co-members of many international bodies," she noted.
Referring to the Syria crisis, Rousseff said, "We believe that undermining the Syrian government will ultimately boost terrorists."
Unlike the West, Iran backs the government of the Arab country, insisting that President Bashar al-Assad should be part of any solution to the conflict.
Rouhani reiterated Rousseff's stance, saying efforts by the West to undermine the Damascus government contradicts its claim of combating terrorism because "collapse of the government would give terrorists greater scope for killing the [Syrian] people."
He said there is no barrier to development of Iran-Brazil ties, stressing that the two countries should take full advantage of the highly-anticipated post-sanctions climate to improve relations.
The prospect of an end to sanctions, expected to take place in a few months, has sparked a flurry of interest in foreign companies to gain a foothold in the unexploited Iranian market.
Following the nuclear deal, many overseas economic delegations have visited Iran to scout for investment opportunities. Ties between Tehran and Brasilia have the potential to develop beyond political and economic spheres and include "significant cooperation on regional issues, the world's security and anti-drug campaign," Rouhani added.
Rouhani Meets Swedish Leader
The president also met Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on the margins of the UN summit.
Rouhani said improved collaboration between Iran and Europe could help substantially promote regional stability.
"Strengthened relations between us and western countries and the European Union could serve as a major step to restoring stability to the region."
Describing Iran as an "influential regional player," Lofven expressed his country's interest in expanding relations in the fields of "trade and industry" and increasing cooperation in the fight against terrorism, which is an international threat.
"We are ready to help open a new chapter of cooperation between the two countries in a variety of domains," the Swedish premier added.
